After the festivities of the Christma period and New Year January is a time where Brits really feel the financial pinch of waiting for pay day.

For those who were paid before Christmas, the Month of January can seem like it will never end as we await that much-needed payday.

Money-saving experts are advising Brits on the best ways to survive the long, tough gap between December and January’s payday.

Penny-pinching pros at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have put together ways to help ease the pressure on your finances during this stretch.

Brits are being advised to cook in bulk and check their monthly subscriptions as ways to keep an eye on their spending.

A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes said: “A lot of people will get paid in early December for Christmas, but that stretch until the next payday can often feel long and dull and for a lot of people it can be tough.

“January already feels like a long month and the financial pinch towards the end of January is never enjoyable.

“There are a few things you can do to help ease that pressure like selling unwanted items and cancelling unwanted or unused subscriptions.

“All of the big Christmas celebrations are over so you’re likely to have a lot more free time to do some of these things. They’re small changes but are super effective and will help lighten the load during the first month of the year.”

6 tips to help you survive until January pay day

Shop smarter

An obvious solution is to refrain from doing any unnecessary shopping on clothes and luxury items that you can go without.

However, it’s not always that simple and if you do find yourself having to buy something try using price comparison websites or look for discount codes.

Cook in bulk

Instead of cooking a separate meal each night why not try meal prepping and cooking in bulk. This way you can freeze your food and take it out when you need it.

This is cheaper than buying ingredients for a different meal each night and not only does it save you money, but it saves you time as well in the week whilst you’re busy working.

 Avoid unnecessary spending

It can be very tempting to grab that coffee on the way to work or pop out and buy lunch while on your break. Try making a coffee before you leave and consider meal prepping for the week ahead. That way you won’t be tempted to buy lunch knowing you have plenty to last you for the week.

Try dry January

If there’s ever a time to do it, you may as well stop drinking with the rest of the nation. As well as being good for your health, you’ll also find it’s good for your bank account.

You’d be surprised how much money you save in a few weeks when you aren’t spending it on alcohol.

Sell unwanted items

Social plans tend to die down in January with everyone in similar financial situations so this should give you some free time to go through and clear out any unwanted items.

And perhaps you’ve been given things at Christmas that could replace other items you have. Selling these online is a great way to get a bit of extra money in January.

Check monthly subscriptions

It’s believed that collectively Brits spend around £1.8 billion on unwanted subscriptions a year.

Now is a good time to go through your subscriptions and cancel any that you do not use or need or maybe even put some on hold until the next payday.

Think about gym memberships, streaming services and delivery subscriptions.

Don’t be tempted by January sales

January sales can be very tempting and you may be thinking if there’s any time to grab a bargain it’s now. But the truth is if you never needed it in time for Black Friday or Christmas, then you probably don’t need it now.