January, it’s always the same, isn’t it? People are struggling with what seems like a longer than usual wait for the paycheck to come in. You feel like you can’t do anything through fear of spending more after an over indulgent Christmas, you feel like your clothes are a little tighter because of a fun and tasty festive season, and well, January possibly isn’t everyone favorite month of the year. But, it doesn’t need to be this way. January can actually be a great opportunity to make some great changes to your life, not just by wholeheartedly embracing those new year’s resolutions, but also seeing it as a chance to wipe the slate clean and make some all-important decisions and changes that could affect the rest of the year. Now it all of a sudden sounds like the month of opportunity, doesn’t it? So I thought I would share with you three ways you can boost your january income, to help you feel just that little bit better about yourself. Who knows, these new habits could develop into a permanent part of your routine and help you throughout the rest of the year.
Look at your existing financial situation and make changes where possible
Your financial situation as it currently stands might actually be your problem and not the wait between paychecks, so now is the time to take on your bank statements and direct debits and truly work out what you can do to improve things. Often people have things leaving their account each month that they weren’t even aware of. Rogue gym membership, anyone? Understand what comes in and what goes out, and cancel what does not need to be leaving to instantly free up some cash. There are, of course, essential bills to pay, but you may be able to reduce some of those essentials like debt payments by considering debt relief programs or even taking matters into your own hands by consolidating debts such as credit cards into a simple loan repayment plan. Some of these actions alone could significantly bring your outgoings down, and help give your bank balance the boost it needs.
Declutter your home and sell any unwanted items
Whether it is just your bedroom or your whole home, I guarantee that there will be some things in your home that you no longer want or need, and this could be just stored in a cupboard somewhere or in storage. Don’t just keep things for the sake of it, why not sell them online on websites like eBay and make some money from your unwanted items? What you don’t need anymore doesn’t mean that someone else won’t find a use for it. Not only does it help you to start off the year decluttered and fresh, but you could boost your income in the process.
Make more use of your spare time
Finally, why not use your spare time more wisely and see it as a chance to make some extra money. Filling out online surveys and performing mystery shops can be a great little side hustle to earn some extra money and it can stop the boredom of January setting in for too long.
I hope that these three options give you some food for thought when it comes to boosting your income this month.