There is an almost scientific anomaly that occurs every twelve months. While every other month on the Gregorian calendar certainly consists of 30 or 31 days, January somehow manages to stretch into a grueling, 744-hour marathon of fiscal anxiety.
For many young people, January has become a reckoning; similar to the cold shower after the neon-lit fever dream of December. If you find yourself checking your bank balance with the same caution one might use to approach a sleeping lion, you are not alone.
This is the Young Observer’s guide to surviving the longest month of the year without losing your mind or your credit score.
Let us begin with mindset change. Year in and out, we continue to treat December as though it is the last month we will be alive and tend to enter a psychological state where the future feels like an abstract concept that will never actually arrive. It is like a “present bias”, which economists explain is a tendency to overvalue immediate rewards like the 30th “last round” of drinks or the New Year’s Eve wig from FashionWins, at the expense of our future selves.
In December, we are often more focused on achieving a soft life and driven by a great fear of missing out which overrides all financial responsibility. In January though, the dopamine clears and the first step to getting through this month is really to accept what you’ve done. Truly. Go and look at your bank account, that is all you. What is left is what you must navigate and work with.
To survive January, one must employ the following approach to expenses:
The “A-B-C” Priority System:
•Category A (The Non-Negotiables): These are the things that keep your life functional. Rent/Mortgage, electricity, water, and data. For the modern young observer, data is a utility. It is how you find work, stay connected, and access information. If you have N$50 left, it goes here first.
•Category B (The Debt Killers): Minimum payments. Do not default. Defaulting in January ruins your credit for the rest of the year, making it impossible to get that car loan or apartment lease in July.
•Category C (The Cut-Throat List): This is where you find your “ghost expenses.” The subscription to a design app you used once. The “Premium” version of a dating app. The automatic deduction for a gym you haven’t visited since the Obama administration. Cancel them all. You can restart them in March.
The hardest part of Janu-worry isn’t the lack of money but also the social pressure to pretend you have it. We live in a culture where “being broke” is seen as a moral failing rather than a temporary liquidity crisis.
As a Young Observer, your power lies in redefining the narrative. You don’t need to tell people you’re “broke.” That word carries a heavy, stagnant energy. Instead, use the term “Strategic Fiscal Reset.” Tell your friends “I’m doing a No-Spend January to hit some big investment goals for 2026. Let’s do a hike or a home-cooked dinner instead of the club.” Don’t just say “no” to an invite. Offer a zero-cost alternative. This maintains the friendship without draining the account. Lastly, digital detoxing may also help your financial situation.. If seeing people’s “delayed” holiday photos makes you want to order takeout or go shopping, delete the app for 10 days. Protect your peace to protect your pocket. Food is usually the largest variable expense. In January, we move from “dining out” to “the pantry raid.” The average young person has at least four days’ worth of meals hidden in the back of their cupboards. Lentils, rice, that odd tin of tuna, and the bag of frozen veggies are your best friends.
If you do have to shop, buy ingredients, not meals. A bag of potatoes can be five different dishes. A pre-made salad is a one-time luxury you can’t afford right now.
By January 15th, most people give up. They think, “I’ve already messed up, I might as well use my credit card.” This is the Danger Zone. Instead of giving up, look for “Found Money.” We all have “dead capital” in our closets. That jacket you bought and never wore? The old phone in your drawer? Sell them. January is a buyer’s market for those who planned well, but it’s a seller’s market for those in a pinch.
January is also the time for writing promotional exams and returning to university so it is the best time to offer tutoring and freelance proofreading. Use the “Janu-worry” desperation to fuel a new stream of income that stays with you for the rest of the year.
Janu-worry is simply a season. The stress you feel right now is actually a powerful teacher. It is your brain telling you that your current financial systems aren’t resilient enough yet.
Take a mental snapshot of how you feel today. Keep that feeling. In June, when you’re tempted to blow a bonus or spend impulsively, remember the “Pantry Raid” of January 2026.
Surviving this month is your first win of the year. You are becoming an observer of your own habits, a master of your own impulses, and a leader of your own future.
Payday is coming. Stay sharp.
