Stretch Your Budget this January

Welcome to 2023! 

And welcome to the 3546 days of Janu-worry (sigh). With the festive season behind us, we have a few tips on how you can stretch your budget right to the end of January.

Don’t fall victim to sales

While buying groceries and necessities on sale is always a good idea, it is best to avoid spending money on things you don’t need right now. If your pocket is going to survive until month-end, don’t be tricked into spending money now.

There will always be sales in coming months. Future you will thank you.

Pack your own lunch

After the lavish meals over the festive season, grabbing a tasty takeaway for lunch can be very tempting. But if you want to stretch your money until the end of the month, bring lunch from home instead. Remember, leftovers are your friend. Come month end, you can treat yourself all you like.

If you do need just a little bit extra to get through the month, why not consider a short term loan?

Entertain yourself at home

There are very few places you can go for entertainment that will not cost you at least some money. Save yourself from financial regret by staying at home. Have a picnic on your patio, catch up on some movies or finally finish that book you’ve been meaning to read. Take some time and enter online competitions on Consumer Rewards.

All of this will save you from the temptation of spending money on entertainment.

Start budgeting

If you only make one New Year’s resolution, make it about budgeting. It is so easy to overspend if you have no real idea where your money is going. Make it as detailed as possible.

To get you started, we’ve designed a very handy Monthly Budget Planner that you can download for free.