HOW TO AVOID FOR JANUARY CASH-CRUNCH IN YOUR FAMILY

Pastor Bisi Adewale
To many people, January is always a long month. To them; days in January is 62 not 31, it is always the most difficult month of the year for many. This is because January involves financial difficulties which are not experienced in any other month of the year.

As this year is going to an end, I need to show you how to avoid what is popularly known as 'JCC' (January Cash Crunch). Note that you need not suffer in January; you can live in surplus throughout the year, January inclusive.

CAUSES OF 'JCC'
1. Most organization pays salary before December 24 th of the month. Some organizations do pay their salary before December 20 th so as to allow their staff shop for Christmas.

2. Most house-rent is due in December.
3. There is school fees to be paid in the first or second week of the month of January

4. December involves a lot of travelling as people travel from their cities to villages and vice versa.

5. December involves festivals (Christmas and New year celebrations) that makes people to spend lavishly.

6. Most organization pays end of the year bonuses which makes people to think they have enough money in their hands thereby spends carelessly.

7. People that travels to their villages always want to 'outshine' their peers, family, relatives, and even enemies by spending lavishly.

8. People tend to drink and eat heavily during the festival season.

9. People tend to womanize and involve in immoralities during festivals than other period and December been a period of festivities encourage this.

10. Women tend to buy expensive clothes, shoes and bags in December some of which they will still be paying for in April the following year.

11. A lot of people prefer to get wedded in December. They and their relatives spend heavily at this period.

HOW TO DEAL WITH 'JCC'
The truth is, you can live in January as in any other month; you can live without being broke, if you understand what it takes to “tie down” your money. I will show you some of them here:

1. Plan your Life. What do you really want for yourself, what do you really want in the New Year?

Plan now. Much money without planning will make you spend endlessly and run into debt. Plan your life and live better.

2, Have a Budget. Know the income available, know what you want to buy, categorized them into NEED and WANT or LUXURY, SHOW-OFF, NECESSITY. Go for only necessity, save money you would have spent on luxury and show-off.

3. Spend Less. By all means, spend lesser than you would have spent.

4. No Show-Off. Are you buying that clothes to show your enemy in the village that you have arrived'? Are you buying that car, wristwatch, television, handset, etc just to show people the level of your wealth? Anything you buy just to impress or hurt others is not for you, it is a show-off.

5. Pre-Festival Purchases. Buy everything you need far away from festival time. My wife used to buy our children “Christmas clothes” in September, rice, condiment and ingredients in October and November, gifts that we want to give out to our loved ones also in November. With this, we are able to avoid high prices of “rush-time purchases”.

6. Buy Later. There are things you can decide to buy later, avoid buying things during “rush hours”.

7. Remember January. As you are writing your cheque, paying that bill, withdrawing from that ATM, always remember J-A-N-U-A-R-Y

8. No Unnecessary Travelling. Must you travel at Christmas period? Why not before that period or after? You know transportation is always costly during the festival and will always involve unnecessary spending.

9. Plan for School Fees. Plan for the payment of children's school fees, some wise parent do pay before the end of December as soon as they collect their December salary. With this, they won't spend the money during festivities.

8. Use Bank. Don't bring all your money home, keep it in the bank. Avoid the temptation of withdrawing everything; it is like spilling your blood if you do.

Control ATM. Who is in charge? You or your ATM? Some people enjoy the card and love the machine; I can't remember using my ATM Card this year, I don't allow it to control me; no, I am in charge; it is just a card. Base your spending on your pocket, don't rely on ATM, if you can't control it, give it to a trusted friend or mentor during this period.

By all means, spend below your means. Never spend above your means, not even within your means. Spend below your means. Yes. Spend lesser than you can afford, that is wisdom, that is the foundation of surplus and mother of wealth. Be wise!

I wish you happy New Year in advance and prosperous 2014.

Bisi adewale is an international conference speaker on marriage and family life, the author of these best selling books: Secrets of an Irresistible Wife , Hot and Sizzling Marriage , 20 Highways to a successful  Marriage , Before you say I Do , and more than 60 other best selling books on marriage and family life.

He is the president of Family Booster Ministry and College of Marital Success (CMS) (Africa's Premier Marriage Institute), Host of Family Booster Moments on TV, watched in many countries across the globe.

Bisi Adewale also hosts the popular Lagos Couples' Conference and breakthrough for singles' summit

Get a free book from him here, you can buy his books on amazon.com or familybooster.com , join him on Facebook.com/totalfamilylife .