Now that the festive period is over, it’s understandable that you might be looking to sort out your finances a little bit. It’s easy to overspend over Christmas and New Year, but thankfully there are ways to get back on the straight and narrow financially if you feel as though you’re a little bit out of your depth money-wise. Here are just a few tips to help you beat the post-Christmas money blues.

Drink water

You don’t have to give up your life to save money, and it’s perfectly possible to still go out and enjoy yourself on a budget. For example, one of my favourite ways to spend less while enjoying the occasional delicious meal in a restaurant involves drinking nothing but tap water while I’m there. Even if you don’t usually drink alcohol, the cost of soft drinks soon clock up during an evening, and before you know it you’ve doubled the cost of your bill thanks to liquids. Switch to water and you can reduce your meal expenditure significantly.

Reduce visits to the hairdresser

I used to visit the hairdresser every two or three months for a cut and half head of highlights, but recently, I’ve decided to try my best to wait longer in between appointments in order to save big bucks. Say for example you spend £40 a visit every two months, that’s £240 a year. By reducing the frequency of these visits to once every four months, you’ll halve the amount you spend on your hair over the course of a month. Of course you could also opt for a low maintenance trim and stick to your natural colour, that would reduce your spends to next-to-nothing.

Combine your resolutions

Many common resolutions go hand in hand and compliment each other when you attempt to tackle them at once. For example if you’re planning on saving money this year AND losing weight, you’re in luck. I’ve saved so much money over recent months by cutting out junk food and resisting the temptation to buy my lunch from nearby supermarkets or takeaways during the week. And I’ve lost a stone in the process! By planning healthy meals in advance and taking your lunch to work each day you can save money and shed some pounds.

Take things back

My friends often tell me off for returning things that I’ve bought, as I frequently change my mind and take things back to the shop. Returning things that you actually like can be annoying, but if you’ve spent too much money during a shopping spree, you’ll be grateful to have that money back in your bank when you need to buy something more important.

Start planning for next Christmas now

I know you’ve probably not even put the 2014 Christmas tree away yet, but by preparing for next Christmas now you can significantly reduce the amount that you spend next December. If you like to go all out during the festive period this is not to be ignored. Christmas cards, crackers and decorations are all reduced in the sales at the moment, meaning that you can snap up so many treats at a fraction of the price that you’d have to pay for them next year.

Make a list of all the people you’re going to need to buy gifts for next December and start to keep a look out for the perfect presents for them now. This will reduce the pressure next winter and will minimise the likelihood that you’ll panic buy something expensive.