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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you will be skint in January?

225 replies

Freco010 · 28/12/2018 22:33

I’m just doing my budget for January and wondering if most people will be skint in January or do you budget and it’s not a problem?

OP posts:
JustBeingJobless · 28/12/2018 23:06

No I should be ok, but I’m currently on benefits (disabled) and on a very tight budget, so Christmas was saved for over the year and I had no option to overspend.

peachypetite · 28/12/2018 23:07

I get paid mid month so it should be fine!

Smeghead90 · 28/12/2018 23:08

@Freco101 thankyou trying not to worry as theres nothing i can do. Just waiting for the payment to go in with it being the holidays its taking even longer than usual. Also sold my phone yesterday and £250 of the money was fake so they got an iphone 7 plus for £30 Angry

Bumbalaya · 28/12/2018 23:09

yes and its very scary :(

Teacherlikemisstrunchball · 28/12/2018 23:10

Yes and no. All money needed for bills is ringfenced in another account and I have enough to pay for day to day stuff in January in my current account, but am being careful as I don’t want to go into my overdraft.

Maryann1975 · 28/12/2018 23:11

Not completely skint, but both dh and I were paid early before Christmas and we had spent all of the last pay when that went in. This week has been a bit expensive with socialising with friends, so will have a cheap month in January to make up for it. But we have that much food from me over buying the last couple of weeks we won’t go hungry either way.

ComtesseDeSpair · 28/12/2018 23:11

Not skint, but quieter because I always clear all my December credit card spending completely so will have less fun money. But loads of people I know will be doing Dry January so fewer nights out and money saved anyway.

It must be so stressful for so many people who have had to overspend for Christmas. It’s all very well for people to (slightly smugly) say that they would never get into debt for Christmas; but for all the families already barely cover necessities and live payday to payday, just buying the kids a few basic presents and having a nice dinner, debt is an inevitability without it funding anything close to extravagant or showy.

thebaronetofcockburn · 28/12/2018 23:12

This is MN. No one will have spent over 50 quid/child on Xmas. No one has a mortgage or any debts, of course no one will be skint in January here.

Santasshoe · 28/12/2018 23:13

Always skint so nothing new there. My wages only pay rent and council tax so we live on the tac credits. Dreading universal credits kicking in this year. I fear it's going to get worse. On the plus side I'm starting a course this year at work to hopefully mean I can earn better money.

sobeyondthehills · 28/12/2018 23:14

Yes, but this is an ongoing thing, however we are cutting back on everything next year, due to financial issues and moving twice in a short space of time, DP's ex gave us 3 months "holiday" off child support, which we are desperate to make up.

Although this could all change depending on my PIP appeal, which I have been waiting on for 18 months give or take, although depending on what is going to happen with this, might mean I get put onto UC, which will then do a shit with the finances I have done. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed

Merryoldgoat · 28/12/2018 23:16

No more than usual. I budget carefully for Christmas but it’s still tight.

I’m going back to work in Jan after 11 months of mat leave so things should improve a little then.

Owletterocks · 28/12/2018 23:16

Well I will be pretty skint and the only thing that’s holding that back is that I can work extra during my annual leave to make sure I break even. I know I spent too much at Christmas but partly that was because I knew I could work extra after to cover it. I hope everyone struggling manages this month.

PersonaNonGarter · 28/12/2018 23:17

Yes - but that is because I am going on holiday at the start. I am anticipating the last week will be very, er, simple.

I really hate this bit when there are bank holidays and delayed payments for tonnes of small transactions and early monthly pay and all that crap. I like to know how skint I am IYKWIM, and that won’t happen til second week of January.

missperegrinespeculiar · 28/12/2018 23:19

no, not skint, in fact, going on holidays for a couple of weeks, but my employer may be announcing redundancies in 2019, so some financial strain may be on the cards for later in the year unfortunately

Roomba · 28/12/2018 23:19

Yes. But no more than usual. Which is a big achievement this year, I actually managed to budget and stagger buying Xmas stuff a bit instead of being broke, buying in a panic the week before, then worrying what we're going to eat in January. So I'll call that a success!

TheEternalForever · 28/12/2018 23:19

Yep I will! But then I'm usually pretty skint anyway so hopefully it won't be too much worse than usual

sushisuperstar · 28/12/2018 23:20

Let’s just start say I’ll be hanging the flags out come payday!

Yes a tight month is coming, but hey ho. We had a nice Christmas. But I wish I could just in a tardis till end of January...

clumsyduck · 28/12/2018 23:20

No , get paid end of month so wa probably today as goes in a bit early but that's January's money . What I can't afford in Nov/ December for Christmas we don't have .

Santaclarita · 28/12/2018 23:20

Yep. Eating beans on toast I think for a month.

Littlelambpeep · 28/12/2018 23:21

I work extra time in November and December and don't pay childcare in holidays and off a couple of weeks ,- so no

But I would like to reduce my hours at work and need to pay off a car loan / save to allow this

Birdsgottafly · 28/12/2018 23:24

We didn't do Adult presents this year and I started buying in September for my Grandchildren.

I had a few expensive days out and me and my youngest treated ourselves to a lot of food/wine/chocolate.

I'm planning on spending very little until March, when Easter spending and my Birthday trip away will start.

It's been great to the point that I'm thinking of buying in vouchers, to spread the cost, over the year.

Tryingbutfailingmiserably · 28/12/2018 23:25

Sort of..... DH needs to go back home to US so have to pay out for plane ticket. Will muddle through somehow. A bit in savings but spent a small fortune over Xmas

Popc0rn · 28/12/2018 23:25

Yes and no - saving for a house deposit, so always on a fairly tight budget as I try to save as much as I can each month. Did overtime in November and December to pay for extra costs for Christmas.

iLoveFoood · 28/12/2018 23:26

No, I will get paid as normal and have my regular bills. I wouldn't get into debt for the holidays.

There will be more of a chunk going off my credit card bill though as I'd like to start saving for a holiday in March/April.

AdoraBell · 28/12/2018 23:29

Absolutely skint this time around. Not just because of Christmas though.