January's 5 Money Saving Ideas.

Christmas is over, the decorations are down, the diets have begun and our bank accounts are starting to struggle. If you're anything like me, then January is one of the hardest months financially, and its a struggle to get through after such an expensive month!

I'm going to be starting a new monthly feature showing you ways of how I save money on a monthly basis, and with different holidays and seasons, come different ideas and ways to save money, so although no two months will not be the exact same, expect to see similar ideas for certain holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween.

January's 5 Money Saving Ideas.

1: Shop Now To Save Money.

It may seem strange starting the tips with something that requires you to spend money, but overall this idea will save you money in the long run. Shops will already have begun reducing their Christmas stock, so look out for reduced items that could save you money in the long run, items such as wrapping paper, cards, tags, decorations, a new Christmas tree as you've vowed you'll have a new one for next Christmas, and even presents! 

You'll need to be mindful with edible gifts, and check the expiry dates, but reduced non edible gifts can save you a small fortune when it comes to buying presents for not just Christmas, but birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentines Day, Easter, teachers gifts, graduation gifts and so on. 

2: Set Some Money Saving New Year Resolutions.

Now is the time to start thinking of new year resolutions if you've not already started, and why not think about being savvier as one of your resolutions? One of my new year resolutions is to meal plan - not just because financially it'll help me to save money, but also because it will help save time. Other money saving resolutions could be to do the 1p money saving challenge, or sorting out unwanted items in your home, or even giving up your beloved once a day coffee from your favourite chain.

3: Re-Gifting Those Unwanted Gifts - The Correct Way.

You love your dad's sister - your auntie Susan, but you can't stand the bottle of perfume or wine she buys you every Christmas. Make a note of what gifts you received and who they came from, that way if you do decide to re-gift them as a birthday present or save them for next Christmas, you can ensure you don't re-gift them to the same person, or their offspring - as auntie Susan may recognise the bottle of perfume you've gifted to her daughter Emily for example.

4: Work, Work, Work.

If like me you find January the worse month financially, try and pick up a few extra shifts at work, or work from home doing something you can do. If you're great at ironing, why not offer family and friends an ironing service that benefits both parties, it's giving you extra pounds, and it's given them one less of a chore to do. Other similar services could be cleaning, gardening or pet sitting/walking.

5: Start The Year As You Mean To Go On.

One thing I really missed over Christmas was the vouchers I had saved up previously from doing simple tasks on the internet. Sign yourself up to a survey site, ones like Swagbucks or Prolific, and take that little bit of spare time you have each day to try and earn yourself some money. You can spend the money as you see fit, I personally like saving them up until the end of the year as they're a huge help towards Christmas.

Another way to spread the cost of Christmas is by signing up to a company like Park or Variety, over the years I pay £10 a week over 40 weeks which gives me £400 in vouchers to spend at Christmas. Paying weekly helps me reduce not just the costs, but the stress of Christmas shopping as I don't have to worry so much about how I'm going to afford things. The example I used (£10 for 40 weeks) is just what I do, but your calculation may be different depending on how much you want and how long you'd like to pay it off by.

There we have it, my January 5 Money Saving Ideas, make sure you check back next month for February's ideas.

Until next time,

Jada x