Dear Lauren,
This past Christmas, I went a little crazy on the gift giving and now I am completely broke! How can I recover from this? I don’t regret giving as much as I did, but my bank account sure does.
Sincerely,
Broke as a Joke
Dear Broke,
Ugh the holidays, the one time of the year that it is totally acceptable to just empty your bank account, all in the name of giving for baby Jesus…or baby capitalism…
Don’t worry, you surely are not alone; many people are suffering the post-holiday blues. Hey, at least you had a great time though, right?
But now it’s time to get your finances back on track. I’m not an expert. I mean I’m a college student making minimum wage…I’m not doing so hot myself. But anyway… back to your problems.
The first thing I can tell you is to get back to work. If you work an hourly job and it’s possible for you to pick up more shifts, take as many sifts as possible. Have a coworker that is always calling off? Make sure they have your number on speed dial so you can snag their hours.
Another thing you can do is to seriously cut down on any excessive spending you are doing now. Going out to eat everyday is not going to be easy on your wallet. Even if you think that ordering from the dollar menu at McDonald’s won’t break the bank, it will. All of the little expenses that you have everyday are really going to start to add up if you do not nip them in the bud.
Lastly, just save what you can. Throw all of your change and spare cash in a jar and don’t touch it. I use an old coffee canister and I keep it out of sight. That way, I only see it when I’m putting in money, not when I’m craving a grande mocha from Starbucks.
Good luck saving those pennies and remember, listen to Lauren!
Lauren Dwyer
Senior Features Editor
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