If last year was not your best, or you overspend during the festive season, you might be already feeling the January blues. If your financial past is full of regrets, it might be time to create plan that will help you and your family live a better life in the new year. You should stop thinking about your wrong decisions in the past and focus on building a brighter financial future. You will find five tips on how to get started below.  

 1. Supplement Your Income
 

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 In case you have been struggling to make ends meet last year, you will need to make more money in the future. Set up a blog, ​create a small business​ that suits your schedule. Look after other children in your home, take part in surveys, or take on some extra hours. Search for opportunities in your local community. If you have older kids who get pocket money, ask them to try to find a small job, such as a paper round, so you don’t have to buy their personal luxury items, such as perfume and makeup. 

2. Consolidate Your Debt
Some people go through their first years of marriage still struggling with old loans and credit card debt. If you have been paying off your credit for long years, and it is still not getting reduced at a rate you would like it to, you might want to check out ​refinancestudent.loan​ to find out about financial solutions to reduce your monthly payments on old debt. 

3. Get Studying
To plan your financial future long term, you might want to start working towards a promotion by completing ​additional courses​ online or in the evenings. You need to show your employer that you are willing to learn and put in the effort, and they will value your knowledge, expertise, and experience, and a promotion might come with a well deserved pay rise. 

4. Save on Childcare
 

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 You can apply for flexible working hours with your employer, and if you get approved, you can reduce the cost of childcare by hundreds of pounds. Shop around and try to swap with other parents, so you all benefit from reduced costs. You can offer to look after their child on Sunday mornings when they work, and in exchange they will have yours on Thursday night, so you can work longer hours. 

5. Get Your DIY Hat On
With kids in the house, home improvement seems like an ongoing project. Buying new items for your kids’ bedrooms, changing the curtains, and ​decorating the nursery​. Instead of getting a decorator, this year you could learn some basic skills, such as altering curtains, sewing cushion covers, or even wallpapering. 

When your family’s budget is tight, you need to get creative to earn more and save on regular expenses. Make it your project to get rid of old debt and increase your income. Set up a small business, get a pay rise by learning new skills, and save on decorating your home by putting your DIY skills to good use.
 
*THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE POST*