Many South Africans describe January as the longest month, and worry about making it all the way through, especially those who received their last salary in mid-December – and who splurged on holidays and festivities.
Using the hashtag #JanuWorry on Twitter, they have been sharing their tips on surviving January:-
Okay but seriously, don’t Janu-worry, we have you covered.
Simply follow our 7 tips to ensure that you have what you need in the longest month of the year:
- Budget
Start by looking at what your bank balance looks like after the December damage has been done, and allocate reasonable amounts to the necessary expenditure.
- Draw up a shopping list
Now that you know how much money you have and what you need, draw up a shopping list and stick to it.
- Price compare
Go around from store to store to find the best prices for the items that you need for the month, but remember to resist the temptation of purchasing at the very first stop. If you’re afraid that you’ll be too tempted, collect brochures or check out online catalogues.
- Dry January
Cutting out alcohol for the month of January is a popular tradition in the UK. Drinking water won’t only cut a ton of your spending on nights out, but drinking a glass of water before every meal will also keep you fuller for longer, which will cut your spending even less.
- Resist your credit cards
Even though it may be tempting to use your credit cards over this time, try to fight the urge. That will only create a ripple effect of repayments for the rest of the year.
- Take public transport or carpool
If you generally enjoy the luxury of driving your car in to work everyday, perhaps you could consider taking public transport. If you’d rather not take public transport, perhaps you could carpool. This could possibly cut your travel costs in half.
