So it’s January 2016 and you are already feeling down in the dumps. Why is that? You should be celebrating making it to a New Year; one surely pregnant with new opportunities to make yourself even more successful. Oh I get it, you are broke and don’t know what to do with yourself; maybe you should reach out to your friends and get a loan. No, why? Ah! Of course they are equally broke and desperate to find a solution. Well then you all should read this.
In the past I too suffered from what I call the empty wallet syndrome that strikes everyone post-Yuletide regardless of their sex, race or position.
1) Christmas Clothes – some people are guilty of shopping for clothes at the last minute in December. Knowing fully well the lines will be long and stocks will be scarce why put yourselves through all that? For clothes you will only wear on Christmas day, and crossover service? In fact people tend to over-spend during the festive period, last minute house renovations, new appliances and gadgets etc.
2) Excessive partying – Every new outfit has a predestined launch party; be it the Adegbenros annual Christmas Party which is marked with the slaughtering of one cow and three turkeys or the Nwosus New Year’s Eve shindig that has a traditional live band brought in from Enugu. Or the neighborhood street carnival. You feel as though it’s your duty to contribute to all this largesse and try to show up with expensive attire and drinks. You are not in the same pay grade as the abovementioned why even try?
3) End of year sales- Big and small enterprises use sales promotions this season as a last ditch effort to get rid of unsold inventory and drive up their profit margins. And the masses join in the mad rush to get the items because they can’t believe how low the cost prices have become. Usually there is no reason or urgent need for the item but by the time sanity prevails it’s too late.
4) Mass Exodus- Lots of people especially those from the East like to go home for the holidays and so the transport fares always rise during the this period. It’s a nice tradition but sentiments aside if people didn’t travel at the same time they would save more money. And this last Christmas saw fuel scarcity which made the fares more exorbitant than usual.
5) Miscellaneous- There all kinds of accounts and bills to settle in January and if you had not set aside money specifically for that purpose you end up cash-strapped.
The 23rd of January is the most depressing day of the year for a lot of people a week to pay day and they have already spent all their savings and even accumulated debt. Luckily I have discovered the solution to an entirely unnecessary situation.
Buy new clothes every month except December, try re-gifting (if you are lucky and receive lots of presents, passing them on is not a crime), avoid sales promotions of items you don’t need. Travel off season when fares are lowest. Well researched long term investments are a good thing; just take time to put the necessary capital together. Spend within your means don’t join the bandwagon (the Chief or Prince’s source of money is still a mystery to you).
