Congratulations to those of you who made it out of bed this morning. It couldn’t have been easy as today is reportedly the ‘most depressing day of the year’. Are you feeling blue or taking action?
Yes, today is affectionately known as Blue Monday – a day where we are statistically most likely to feel down about our love lives, careers and finances.
Our survey last month found most people weren’t relishing their prospects for the New Year, with half (49%) of people expecting their household budgets to be tighter in 2014 than 2013.
So has it all come to head today or are you planning on making Blue Monday the day you make positive changes to your life and household budget?
Budgeting for the New Year
Could 2014 be the year where you attempt to make your money go further? While the economy is tough, there are a few steps you can take to ensure that you’re doing what you can with the money you have.
We’ve plenty of advice for creating an effective budget if that’s how you’re planning on managing your money. You might also like to take the opportunity to switch to a more generous savings account or find a cheaper insurance provider. Just one of these steps could be all it takes to turn ‘Blue Monday’ into ‘Happy Monday’.
It seems that many of us intend to inject some joy into the day by booking holidays. Research from British Airways has suggested that more holidays will be booked on January 6 than on any other day of the year. We published the results of the best and worst holiday companies just last month should you be considering a big get away – in addition to our review of the best and worst airlines, as rated by Which? members.
Setting financial goals
Even just setting yourselves some financial goals can be enough to inject some focus into your finances for the year ahead.
Personally, I’m aiming for 2014 to be the year where I get on the property market. I’m also hoping to learn how to invest in stocks and shares.
So tell us – what are you planning to do to get over this supposedly horrid day? What is your main financial goal for 2014 and will you be taking any steps towards achieving it today?