Real January Survival Tips, Adopt them and be Safe

Some people say that January is the longest month of any given year. In fact, some say that the month has more than 60 days, counting the day and the night. Some also say that January is the typical month of the proverbial and scientific phrase of survival for the fittest.

Basically, the month of January is a difficult month of the year form most people. It is a difficult month simply on the grounds that people don’t have money. Why? Because they have used it all during the Christmas and New Year’s festivities. It is a difficult month especially for parents whose children are going back to school. They have to pay school fees, do shopping and maintain their status.

People have baptized January with numerous names. Some have nicknamed it Njaanuary meaning the month of ‘hunger’, some have opted for Juanuary meaning the month of ‘sun’ (unproductive and difficult) and while to some, January is a Yawnuary meaning a month of ‘yawning’.

Kenyans, aware of the difficult month ahead, took on the social media with #NjaanuarySurvivalTips.

Here are some of the hilarious January survival tips doing round on social media:

https://twitter.com/Machukah/status/816188783095934976

https://twitter.com/ItsNjokiKelvin/status/816222697470443521

https://twitter.com/ODMendel/status/816195342672793600

Excessive Consumption of food is harmful to your pocket,do not eat and drive,eat responsibly!! By @ConsumersKenya😂 #NjaanuarySurvivalTips

— Qen (@KennyElMando) January 3, 2017

https://twitter.com/ODMendel/status/816206595097038848

It's this serious #njaanuarysurvivaltips pic.twitter.com/OtACK6dcBc

— Israel🇮🇱 (@Mejja_i) January 3, 2017

Now, those are just some few January survival tips from hilarious Kenyans. But on a serious note, how do you make sure that you wade through January and see February without much hustling? Here are some of the tips on how to:

• Do not spend on unnecessary things

Just don’t buy something you know it is not urgent or needed at the time. Only buy things that you need and ones that you can afford. For instance, spare your ambitions for the new dress or new television set until ‘the month is clear.’

• Avoid places that will tempt you to use money.

If you have a habit of ‘emotional spending’, then this is for you. This is the time you should avoid hanging out with friends who would want you buy some things for them. Almost everybody is broke and you cannot expect to take out your friends for them to pay bills and not you. Avoid places like supermarkets, butcheries, fashion malls, bars and embrace kiosks and shops for the time being. That won’t make you a lesser human being.

• Avoid taking loans from friends

January is the only month that some people often accumulate loans from various sources and use the next six months trying to settle them. Try as much as possible to live within your means as the month rolls on. What is the point of taking numerous loans in January then spend the next three of six months settling them?

According to WikiHow with their guidelines on Saving Money Responsibly, saving and using money responsibly requires the following:

1. Pay yourself first
2. Avoid accumulating new debt
3. Set reasonable saving goals
4. Keep a budget

Allow me to explain option (d) about keeping budgets. Many people find it hard to survive this especially this month of January due to failure to keep budgets. Some only manage to keep budgets on paper but not during spending. Outlining your budget is the most efficient way of monitoring your spending. Before buying anything, write it down and how much it is likely to cost.

Kenyans also still had their savings tips and they did not fail to share them on social media platforms. Here are some of them:

#NjaanuarySurvivalTips carry mahindi ya kusiaga from ocha and take a break from Grade one packets. I know Omwami has brought a 50kg sack

— Rawayo El Presidente (@Oneeddiekevin) January 4, 2017

#NjaanuarySurvivalTips don't feel threatened akiitisha pizza, here is the solution. pic.twitter.com/xnXqZtjqd8

— Ⓢⓣⓔⓥⓔ𓃵 (@CicadaSteve) January 4, 2017

To men this is the way to shave in January just to save that coin.. #NjaanuarySurvivalTips pic.twitter.com/t8zU3IGzCu

— Mwiti (@Dk_mwiti) January 4, 2017

With all said and done, it is still January. Use your money responsibly.

Related: How to Make Millions in 2017