Four Ways to Beat Your Blue Monday Money Worries

Andy Webb

Monday is meant to be the most depressing day of the year. Now, the idea of one day being worse than any other might feel like pseudo-science, but it’s certainly the case that financial pressures can come to the fore this month.

Bills for Christmas spending will be dropping through letter boxes, and they’re likely to be higher than normal. We found that one in three Britons had spent more than they could afford over Christmas, with one in ten people getting into debt as a result.

These money worries are made worse by an early payday in December. Two in five workers (44%) had to stretch December’s paycheque further as a result, while not being able to budget properly causes problems as January goes on.

When money matters begin to affect your mental health, the easy option is to ignore it or pretend it isn’t happening. But, leaving post unopened or carrying on spending won’t solve anything. They’ll actually just make things worse.

If cash is a concern and is making your Monday “blue”, confronting the reality can help lift the burden.

Here are four ways you can beat money worries on Blue Monday.

1. Talk to someone.

Suffering alone adds to the pressure. Share the situation with friends or family if you can. Even if they can’t help, just talking to someone could help you see the problem with a clearer focus. You can also get free and independent money advice from hundreds of debt charities and organisation across the country.

2. Know exactly what the situation is.

If you’ve lost track of your spending, it’s even harder to find a way out. Though it could be scary to see the true extent of your problems, a simple budget will clearly show you how much you spend and where. There could be some simple “quick wins”, where you can instantly find places to save or cut back.

3. Take it one at a time.

If there are so many bills you feel overwhelmed by what to do next, stop. Take one concern at a time. You don’t need to solve it, but you might be able to make it less of a worry. Then move on to the next, and so on until you feel able to look at the bigger picture. Focus first on the priority expenses such as rent, Council Tax and energy.

4. Make some simple changes.

Though some of your money worries might be big, you might ease the pressure with some small and simple changes.

You could free up extra cash by switching your energy company or changing to a discount supermarket. You might be able to raise some money by selling things on eBay or at boot fairs.