Many of us get money blues in January. It's that sobering time of year that people realise what they spent in December and the things we have put off can catch up with us. With that in mind here are ten things you can do to help ease the pain of the "New Year Slim Wallet" Syndrome.
1. Eat from the freezer. This is an expression my ex-work colleague D liked to use, but it also includes eating from the cupboards. Check what you've got and see if you can concoct a meal (or three) from what's lain forgotten at the back shelf. It's a good opportunity for a clear-out too.
2. Delay your grocery shop. By a day, or even a few days, if you can. Scrabble around to see if leftovers could do the trick to keep you going a bit longer. Maybe you can even get enough meals together to skip the shop, and just grab a few essentials to keep you going.
3. Eat your eggs. Eggs are really versatile. Beat 2 eggs with the same amount of milk, and throw in whatever you have lying around (chopped ham, leftover vegies, a handful of cheese). Cook it in the microwave until there's no raw egg in the middle when you push it apart with a spoon. You now have a yummy dinner that you can chow down on with some toast, or more vegies, and that's one less meal you need to spend on.
4. Plan. While you're doing the top three items, keep a note of what you actually have. Think about what you could skip while shopping - if you've got three tins of peaches, maybe you don't need to buy apples this week, and if there are frozen vegies, you could use those and skip the fresh broccoli.
5. Ration the car use. Make it a rule not to use it unless you can combine two errands. If you drive to work, have you checked out the alternatives? Have you considered car pooling, or even park and ride, if you currently pay for parking?
6. Ebay it. Perhaps you got Christmas presents you just don't need. Perhaps you have things in the house that you no longer use. Be methodical and see what's just taking up space. A good declutter is also great for feeling refreshed.
7. Go prepared. Actually, make this a habit. Make a decision that you will not spend any money during your work day, and stick to it. This means preparing coffee or tea in a flask, and packing a sandwich or leftovers for your lunch. True frugalists have already conquered this money sieve, but the average punter is still spending every single day on "meal deals" or even on full takeaway meals and coffee - and then realising that they have no savings! If this is you, it's time to tackle this as a matter of urgency. You can do it.
8. Check for vouchers. Apparently quite a lot of us lose the Tesco vouchers, forget about our Nectar, Co-op and Boots points, and have long-overlooked gift vouchers walking around with us in our wallets. Look around and see what you have (and don't ever spend Nectar points on groceries - you can get much better value looking on the Nectar website for deals).
9. Your wardrobe is on sale. Seriously, don't go near the store sales. Take some time to rediscover pieces you like but don't wear often enough.
10. Close doors. Your bedroom might be too warm - 12-15°C is fine, so turn down those radiators and close the doors off from the rest of the house. Ventilate bedrooms in the mornings for 20 minutes to help prevent mould, of course. Humans sleep better in slightly cooler rooms, too, and heating bedrooms less will save you money.
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