BLOGGING THE VIEW: 5 Tips to survive the last of Janu-worry

IT’S nearing that long-awaited January payday, but you still have to get through the weekend – and then some – with nothing but fumes in your bank account. You’re not alone! But that doesn’t make the 25th come any quicker, so here are a few simple tips that will help you survive these final, very long days.

1. Get creative with meals
Grocery shopping is simply not an option (have you seen the price of food!) and ordering a takeaway is even more costly. But you still have to eat! So, now is the time to get a little creative with the ingredients you do have. This is where the internet is your best friend! You simply need to Google ‘make a meal with what I have in my fridge’ and sites will come up that can generate meal ideas using whatever ingredients you throw at them. This isn’t just a cost-effective way to survive the month, it will also give you some creative cooking ideas.

2. Find free entertainment
Fortunately, the weather is looking to improve this weekend so you can enjoy summertime outdoors. Why not get a group together and carpool to the beach or meet at a friend’s house for a pool party? This saves on petrol costs and there’s no entrance fee! You could even agree to each take a plate of something from your cupboard and make the food go further by sharing.

3. Visit a library
Libraries are one of the world’s greatest assets and if you aren’t using your local one, you’re missing out. There is a wealth of books and even DVDs you can access at absolutely no cost, while enjoying the cool serenity of relaxing in this welcoming environment. If you’re not into reading for leisure, check out some educational books and learn something new this year. 2024 is the year of self-improvement!

4. Do a clothes swap
If you’re getting the urge to do some retail therapy but the bank account has run dry, why not try a clothes swap? Get a group of friends to check through their cupboards and do a real clean out of items they don’t want or don’t use. Then arrange a get-together with all these goods, and let your friends select or swap items they might like. Whatever isn’t chosen can then be donated to a local thrift or charity shop, so you’re being both socially and environmentally conscious.

5. Sell what you don’t need
Clothes aren’t the only things lying around that you don’t need which could be useful. Do a really good clean and separate items into piles of junk/donate/sell. You don’t realise just how much you can make from items that are lying around your house that you haven’t used in years. Old linen, electronics, gardening equipment – anything that’s taking up space and that you don’t have a use for can be a treasure for someone else. Use your local WhatsApp or Facebook classified/market groups to make a bit of extra cash.

When that payment does finally come, put aside a percentage in an investment or savings account that you don’t touch so January 2025 is just a little bit easier.

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