5 Tips to Save Money this January

After the festive season is over, the January blues kick in. Everyone makes their new year’s resolutions; most have probably been broken already! You try to eat better and get more exercise in your daily routine, but one of the main things everyone tries to do in January is save money. After spending a lot over the holidays on gifts, food and socializing, it’s time to give your bank card a break. Here are 5 tips on how to save this month.

1. Plan your meals 

This is equally useful if you’re looking to lose a few pounds, too. By taking the time to plan you and your family’s meals for the week, it’s easier to keep track of calories. It also means that when you’re going to buy your groceries you won’t wander the aisles picking up items that you don’t need and will add to your total spend. Here are some family friendly recipes that are healthy for all of you. 

2. Turn it off! 

Make sure you’re not wasting energy in your home. It’s easy to leave your TV set on stand-by rather than getting up and turning it off at the mains. When you leave a room that you’re not going back into, do you leave the light on? Sometimes, of course, you have to leave things running, but by making sure you’re turning off lights, electronic devices and not leaving your radiators on all day could save you quite a few dollars.

3. Price Check

Don’t pick up and buy the first thing you find when you’re looking for products. Different brands of the same thing will have different prices, and it’s important to make sure you’re not paying through the nose for an item you could get for half the price elsewhere. Start at bargain stores, where these cheaper brands are on offer, and you might even find the brand you like at a discounted price. Look online too, sites like this discount online chemist, www.chemistdirect.com.au, have brilliant deals on every day products. 

4. Take advantage of sales

It can be an intimidating task to search through masses of clothes, toys or cheap holiday decorations that stores are trying to shift, but if you think forward to next year, you could save yourself some money then, too. If you’re not too much of a fashionista, wearing a sweater next winter that is stylistically a year old shouldn’t be a problem for you and it will still keep you warm for the next month or so as well. 

5. Limit your social calendar

This doesn’t mean you have to become a total shut-in, but saying no to certain social affairs could help you save this month. During the holiday season there’s always work Christmas parties, dinners with friends and family members, not to mention big New Year’s Eve celebrations to cap it all off. In January spend some quality time with your family at home, and instead of meeting your friend for that drink at the local bar or dinner at a restaurant, invite them over to your place to catch up. 

Following even just a few of these tips should help your bank balance recover after a month of over-spending, and now it’s time to look forward to that summer holiday you’ve been thinking about!