How to survive the New Year holiday jetlag: five timely tips

By Lemuel Irabor

Contact: lifeandasixteenyearold@gmail.com

      The holiday season has finally come to an end. Schools resume and your pesky boss starts again with his routine of annoying you (Ungh! Why do we have to have bosses?)

   Fresh out from the holiday spending, your bank account’s most likely in the red too. And you’re already hating the first month of the year already.

   Relax, mate.

January doesn’t have to be a tough one for you. If you follow these five(5) tips religiously, I guarantee that you’d survive—and even overcome the pioneer month of 2018.

1.  Take stock of all you’ve got..

   I know, I know. That wasn’t what you were expecting would be #1. But according to recent reports, taking an inventory of all the stuff in your store does not only give you the actual number of what you have left over; it gives you an idea of the supplies you need to get. This helps you prepare for any purchases you will be making.

2.  Prioritize purchases

 

You need a new blouse..

An in-the-now shirt..

Fashionable watch..

What about shoes?;;

Or that new scarf that Debbie rocked to the New Year party..

Oh, a new tie will look good on you too..

Fine, but they can definitely wait!

Rather than go on a spending spree this period, you should limit your purchases to only the basic and necessary stuff. Leave the expendable items till you at least get your first pay-check.

3.  Reuse and Recycle

   Those balloons and decoration you used to usher the New Year could also be used at the birthday party of your buddy whose birthday falls in the month of January. All it takes is a little reshaping and restyling here and there, that’s all.

Do this for other reusable stuff and at the end of the month, you’ll not only have saved a few extra bucks—you’ll be saving the environment too.

4.  Cook your own meals

  Since your bank accounts probably at an all-time low, eating out is totally out of the question. A suitable alternative is to be your own chef this period. It’s a well-known fact that coking your own meals is a whole lot cheaper than eating or ordering out, so you may need to try it this January.

Get your white hats up, everyone!

5.  Reduce your public appearances

  Yes, we know you love to be the buzz at every party. But maybe you should let up on that routine for just this month.

It’s a public secret that living the party lifestyle is quite—OK, a whole lot—expensive. Sometimes you have to buy specific outfits to particular events and that’s it. You never get to wear those outfits to another event in a loooooong time, if ever.

The easy way out? Don’t go.

         You can politely decline party invitations or, even better; make yourself unavailable by engrossing yourself in other activities like taking some free online courses or getting rid of the flab you picked up during the holiday at the gym. You could also apply for overtime at work: essentially making some extra cash on the side. (Who says you can’t kill two birds with a stone?)

Besides, let’s see if they even miss you, right?

There you have it, folks: five indispensable tips for surviving the month of January. Lemme know how they helped you.

Follow me on Twitter @LemuelIrabor

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