Everything you can do to survive until payday and beat Blue Monday
Blue Monday is supposedly the most depressing day of the year - and that day is today.
It’s meant to be the day where Brits feel most miserable about the long wait until January payday, after being paid early before Christmas, combined with feeling down about debts and the bleak UK weather.
But it was actually devised by psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall in 2004 as a way to help travel companies sell holidays.
Blue Monday traditionally falls on the third Monday of January.
Whether you believe in it or not, or you're simply worried generally about making it to payday, we've rounded up eight ways to give your finances a boost.
Martin Lewis issues 8-week warning to phone users ahead of huge price hikes
We round up ways to make extra cash (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Make extra extra money
There are plenty of ways to make extra cash - and sometimes you don’t even need to leave your home.
If you’re unhappy with your bank, get paid to switch and move elsewhere.
The top-paying bank bribe right now is from First Direct, which is offering £175 for new customers.
Read the small print carefully though, as there are certain terms and conditions you need to meet first.
To get the money, you need switch your current account to the 1st Account and pay in £1,000 within three months.
You can't have ever had an account with First Direct before, or have opened a current account with sister bank HSBC since January 2019.
You could also be paid to enter surveys online and watch TV.
The start of the New Year is also a good time to have a clear out and sell your unwanted stuff.
Or see if you can make money by renting out your spare room or driveway.
Read our guide on 20 ways to make extra money here.
Boots annual 70% off sale is returning with some deals already available
Sell your unwanted belongings or give them to charity (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Start a side hustle
Can you use your skills to make a bit of extra money?
For example, you could look to sell your art or photography, or if you're brilliant at writing, you could look at ways to make money from blogging.
How much you could earn through a side hustle depends on how much time you have to put into it.
Start off small, so you can test the waters before investing money into what could potentially become a small business.
Keep in mind that if you’re making extra money - particularly if you’re doing it as a regular side hustle or selling for profit - you might need to pay tax.
There is a trading allowance which means you have to report anything over £1,000 in additional income. SeeGov.ukfor more information.
Go through your bills
There are probably some bills where you're paying more than you should be.
Go through your bank statements for the last three months and highlight any recurring payments - then see if you can cut costs.
Are you out of contract on your broadband and mobile? Or are there any subscription services you can do without?
If you have any insurance policies, make a note in your diary now for when they're due to expire, then make sure you compare prices nearer the time.
Warm up for cheap
Make sure your home is as insulated as it can be - and that doesn't need to cost you a fortune.
There are plenty of home improvements you can make yourself that don't require spending lots of money.
For example, buying a thick, heavy-duty rugs if you have floorboards, or making your own draught excluder.
Finally, check you're receiving all the energy help that is available to you.
There is a £400 rebate, being handed out in six instalments until April. You need to physically claim this if you're a prepayment customer.
Other schemes include the Warm Home Discount, worth £150, Cold Weather Payments, worth £25 each, and Winter Fuel Payments, worth up to £600.
Many energy providers also offer free cash grants that you don't need to pay back. British Gas runs a hardship fund for anyone - not just its customers - where you could get £1,500.
Cut your supermarket shop
Food prices have risen dramatically over the last year - so now is a good time to slash your supermarket shop.
One trick to try out is the Downshift Challenge. This is where you swap branded labels for supermarket own-brand goods - and it could save you 30%.
Other tips include never shopping when hungry, always use a basket instead of a trolley, hunt out yellow stickers and avoid expensive convenience stores.
Finally, take advantage of new customer offers when shopping online.
Morrisons gives new customers £10 off a £50 shop, Sainsbury's advertises £15 off a £60 spend and Iceland gives £5 off a £45 shop.
Eat out for cheap
Going out to eat as a family doesn't need to be expensive - there are plenty of meal deals and offers to take advantage of.
For example, Asda is offering a Kids Eat for £1 deal until the end of March 2023, with no minimum spend for adults.
This runs alongside its Winter Warmer promotion for pensioners, which allows those aged over 60 to buy soup, bread and unlimited hot drinks for £1.
Hungry Horse pubs across the UK also allows kids to eat for £1 when accompanied by a paying adult.
The promotion runs until February 10, every Monday (all day) and Tuesday to Friday between 3pm to 5pm.
Or if you shop in Dunelm, you can get a free kids meal in its Pausa cafes until January 22.
Kids can get the meal for free when an adult spends £4.
There is another way to cut your restaurant bill through comparison website Compare the Market, which we'll explain below...
Be entertained for less
Going to the cinema isn't cheap, but there are ways to lower the costs.
You can take advantage of a Compare the Meerkat deal, which gives you two for one cinema tickets every Tuesday and Wednesday - just by purchasing a £1 insurance policy.
The cheap insurance involves purchasing cover for a one-night UK stay - this then activates Meerkat Movies for a whole year.
You also get various restaurant deals through Meerkat Meals, including two for one on selected food Sunday to Thursday, 25% off your whole bill at restaurants and 50% off certain takeaway pizza.
If you're a Tesco shopper, there is a way to boost your Clubcard points to get cheap days out with the kids.
Convert Tesco Clubcard points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers and on many attractions you get three times the vouchers' face value.
This includes places like Alton Towers, Chessington and Lego Land.
If you're looking for something to do from home, take out a membership with your local library to enjoy thousands of e-books and audiobooks for free.
Book a holiday
January can often be one of the cheapest time to book flights, according to Expedia.
Many flight companies offer January sales, although this is normally nearer to the start of January.
If you are planning on going on holiday, do your research first and compare prices so you don't get ripped off.
Google Flights and comparison websites including Kayak, Kiwi, Opodo and Skyscanner all allow you to set up price alerts so you can monitor prices.
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