Eat Well, Live Well - Enjoy January on a budget

If you’ve got the post-Christmas blues, here’s the perfect antidote – a cheap and cheerful January. There’s still plenty you can do for fun, even when funds are running low.  From creative crafting to savvy saving, here’s our top tips on smiling through the New Year.

Swap your skills
Being crafty and creative is all the rage right now – with good reason. Learning a skill like knitting, crocheting, cardmaking or sewing is the perfect way to while away those dark January evenings. It’s also a great way of saving money and giving beautiful, unique gifts. If your budget won’t stretch to a class, why not try a skillswap? Ask around until you find someone in your circle who can do what you want to learn - then offer to teach him or her whatever you can do best. If your friends are interested, you could even form a skillswap circle hosted by a different person each week.

Be a leftover queen
There’s so much more to Christmas leftovers than cold turkey, so make the most of the biggest meal of the year. Why not try using turkey in place of chicken to create this fabulously warming broth?   It’s perfect with RYVITA® on a cold winter’s night. Get creative with leftover vegetables, too, with Roast Parsnip Soup , or our Healthy Homemade Vegetable Soup. You can enjoy all these soups in a flask on those bracing winter walks – and for more ideas, just visit our recipe section. For more tips and ideas on what to do with your Christmas leftovers visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com . 

Broaden your horizons
Make January the month that you try something new. It can be anything you like, with only one criterion – it’s got to be free and it’s got to be something you wouldn’t normally do! Here’s just a few ideas: a trip to the nearest museum or art gallery (many offer free workshops, lectures and tours as well as exhibits), a walk at a local beauty spot you haven’t visited before, a browse in a local market or craft fair, a visit to your local library to pick a book by an author you’ve never heard of, going to a local author or poetry reading in a local cafe or bookshop…the possibilities are endless!

Be a savvy saver
Everyone needs a treat once in a while – especially after all the Christmas fun has died down and summer seems a long way off. So rather than blowing your budget, save little and often. Put small change in the traditional money jar (or even one of our fabulous Ryvita tins!) and you’ll be surprised by how quickly it mounts up. Have a clear-out and flog unwanted gifts and old furniture on ebay, or at car boot sales. Save money while shopping online by signing up to retailers’ email newsletters, which often have special deals or ‘flash’ sales which only last for short periods. And find like-minded savers at forums like moneysavingexpert.com – it’s great to have moral support when you’re saving towards a goal.

And finally…be an escapist
When the days are cold and the nights are long, simply lose yourself in a fabulous fantasy world. Watch old Hollywood films full of glamour and song. Curl up with an epic historical novel – or even have a go at writing your own. Join a local amateur dramatic society and take to the stage yourself. Dreaming costs nothing – so go ahead and indulge yourself!