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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:
YerAuntFanny · 29/12/2018 13:02

No more skint than usual 😁

We don't go overboard and tend to spread the costs for Christmas and don't have any debts, loans, overdrafts or credit cards so if we can't afford it in December then we can't have it.

KanielOutis · 29/12/2018 23:02

Things will be a little tight, but we didn't go over the top, and didn't get into debt. We don't have money for extras in January so we are battoning down the hatches, but the basics are covered.

MakeAHouseAHome · 29/12/2018 23:10

Skint for me yes. But my idea of skint is not being able to put away at least £800 in savings each month.

animallikeyou · 29/12/2018 23:12

Ohhh yes, I will be. I got a £600 car bill three days before Christmas which has bitten into my budget.

I guess I will actually have to go the gym given that I’ve no money to do anything else...

listsandbudgets · 29/12/2018 23:16

We won't be skint but we will have to be slightly mire careful than usual . Luckily plenty of food in freezer and there's not much other stuff we actually need so should be ok.

Got to pay the house insurance though.. pay it annually but put away for it monthly after realising annual payment quite a bit cheaper overall.

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 29/12/2018 23:20

No but I'll be going easy. Not skint but nothing really spare, you know. I can afford the odd McDonalds or cab to work but won't be doing impulse buys or eating out much.

Megsmcgoo · 29/12/2018 23:20

I shouldn’t be as it’s a quiet month. I am excited for January to end though as I will have finished paying off a £25,000 debt and will finally be able to live a lot more freely, it’s felt like a life sentence!

Schmoobarb · 30/12/2018 00:51

Skint for me yes. But my idea of skint is not being able to put away at least £800 in savings each month.

🙄

Schmoobarb · 30/12/2018 00:52

I am excited for January to end though as I will have finished paying off a £25,000 debt and will finally be able to live a lot more freely, it’s felt like a life sentence!

Hurray! 😄

small2018 · 30/12/2018 00:59

@Schmoobarb well done! Any tips you can pass on

Schmoobarb · 30/12/2018 01:33

well done! Any tips you can pass on

God no I was quoting a PP! I’d love to know myself though!

Littlepond · 30/12/2018 01:43

No. DH gets a small Christmas bonus (3 figures) and we spend that on Christmas, not a penny more, so Jan is a normal month as we’ve only spent the extra.

Innermess · 30/12/2018 08:05

Yes, but I have a bit more work available in 2019, I should have paid off a long-standing debt early in January and DS is about to get his first job (hopefully). Therefore ,2019 may be the first year in a decade when I will be able to start saving a little.

Neverunderfed · 30/12/2018 08:46

Skint for me yes. But my idea of skint is not being able to put away at least £800 in savings each month.

Pmsl. "Hey everyone, come see how great I am" 😂

Allyg1185 · 30/12/2018 08:49

No because I only buy what I can afford for christmas and I don't use credit cards. Had a normal pay day in December so no having to wait 5 plus weeks for payday. Got a tax bill due in February but cancelled my claim the minute I realised it was generating bills from years ago and the guy on the phone said everything will cancel itself out when I stopped the claim. Not holding my breathe but hoping he was correct

FrowningFlamingo · 30/12/2018 09:13

No, but we were skint in September and November!

Fluffyears · 30/12/2018 10:02

I save up from September for presents so it’s not coming out of my December wage. When my wage came in on 20th December I put it away in another account and won’t touch it till Monday so really it’s 4 weeks till next payday.

Adversecamber22 · 30/12/2018 10:11

Not at all as we are very comfortable financially.

We need a new fridge and the kitchen tap has just been replaced I’m aware that for many people such as my sisters this would be panic stations.

We don’t spend a lot more at Christmas anyway.

Kemer2018 · 30/12/2018 10:15

No. But we'll be living out of the freezer by eating leftover sliced turkey, beef, stuffing, pigs in blankets, etc rather than buying new meats. I may make a pie.
Using leftover stuff for packed lunches etc.
I've spent about 20 in the sales as i found them disappointing (most stuff was 50% before xmas, so no change).

TidaQuel · 30/12/2018 10:20

Yes, due to an emergency we overspent. However hoping for an owed payout soon so hopefully that will help.

anniehm · 30/12/2018 10:41

Yes, but am most months as we spend too much on crap

adaline · 30/12/2018 10:49

No, thankfully not. We don't spend much on Christmas though.

DramaticGoose · 30/12/2018 10:55

Yes, we'll be skint in January. I over spent on Christmas (I do every year, last year I was much worse), so there's that. Also both me and my dh have got new jobs starting in January, so that'll mean our January paychecks will be slightly lower than normal (just because of when the new jobs start, New pay days etc) but we're both getting more money than our previous jobs so that'll just be a blip, from Feb onwards we'll have an extra £600+ each (mine has a bonus). Also our son is eligible for the 30 funded hours so nursery will be a lot less (which is a massive relief)... so whilst January and the most part of February will be quite tight, we'll be much better off in the long term.

Alltootrue2u · 30/12/2018 10:58

It will be a usual month for us. Pay days remained same over Xmas period and I had finished Xmas shopping by 1at December anyway.

Bugsymalonemumof2 · 30/12/2018 11:01

I will get by but no spare for treats etc