Take Advantage of January

I’m sorry for all you January-lovers out there, but this month has a lot of things going against it: the cold, the dark, the end of all things merry and bright. It’s the month where everyone kick-starts their resolutions and goals for the year, so it’s kosher to do not-fun things like eating healthy, hitting the gym and saving money.

Well, I say take advantage of January and embrace all that it offers. Eat healthy. Hit the gym. Save as much money as you can.

One of the hardest parts of sticking to a strict budget are the social pressures. Every day there are people and things tempting my wallet — to eat out, travel, look nice, make my house prettier, keep up with the Jones’, etc. If you are trying to save money this year, start today. It’s the easiest month to stick to be a budget, because, well, everyone else is doing it. People don’t think you’re silly when you say something like, Sorry we can’t go to that fancy restaurant because we’re trying to save money this month, because they’re most likely trying to do that as well.

Or maybe it’s not people that tempt you, but things, ideas — Pinterest — that makes you want to spend money. I love that little site to death, but have noticed it can bring a sense of discontentment when I see others’ homes or fashion that I’m not up to par with. If you find that Pinterest or reading certain sites or blogs tend to make you feel inferior, stop reading! Give yourself a month away from inspiration and you’ll most likely have a refreshed and focused appetite when you come back to it.

January is a rough month, but it can serve as the diving board into the pool of productivity, healthy and wealth for 2013. So embrace it!

Some ideas may include…
– Dining out just once a week
– Stop buying any clothes until March
– Don’t buy any decorations for your home this month
– Quit buying books and only borrow books from the library
– Take $10, $20, $30 off your weekly grocery budget and see how far you can stretch those dollars.
– Go on a Pinterest or Facebook-fast, and only focus on the things
– Limiting the amount of processed foods you eat
– Hitting the gym 3 times a week
– Planning your day the evening before
– Getting up early

I’m taking advantage of January by not buying any decorations, limiting my Pinterest time, only borrowing books from the library, eating only foods on my fodmaps diet, and examining our grocery budget to see how far I can stretch the dollars.

What about you? How do you plan to take advantage of this month? 

PS – How to create a budget, how to get out of debt, why you need an emergency fund, the biggest spending temptations