New Starts & New Beginnings

By Ilana Jankowitz

After a lovely Christmas holiday, it’s time to get back to life as we know it…feeling the January blues anyone?!!

But the end of the festivities can also be a time that brings a sense of new beginnings and fresh starts. 2020 was so unexpected and challenging and brought many changes with it. But change is both an adventure and a challenge. Often, when things change there is a tendency to use spending to ease the discomfort of the unfamiliar. We buy ourselves ‘treats’, we use it to fill boredom or we go shopping to make sure we have everything we need and more in this unfamiliar time. If that spending isn’t planned and there is no budget in place, things can get out of hand. 

A helpful thing to remember is that YOU are in control of the spending urges, the spending urges ARE NOT in control of you!

If you are feeling lost or overwhelmed by the changes in your life, don’t despair. New beginnings don’t have to cost you a fortune or put you on the road to debt. Take a little bit of time to plan for the adventure ahead, and why not make the process fun and exciting too! 

If you have moved to a new house or someone has left home, now is a great time for a declutter. As you sort through your belongings, make a list of the things that can be upcycled or reused, so that you don’t have to go expense in the future. When stocking up for a new term, new job or new home, another fun idea is to go to second-hand shops, charity shops or flea markets. There are plenty of hidden gems to be found!

Whatever you do, focus on the adventure ahead rather than what you have left behind and you will soon find that the possibilities are endless. 

Ilana Jankowitz is a certified Money Coach born and raised in South Africa and currently residing in Zurich. Her work is all about identifying behavioural patterns around money, transforming negative thinking and moving from a self destructive mindset to one that is positive and inspiring.

She is passionate about helping women to break free from self doubt, low self esteem and lack of self confidence and move towards financial liberation and she can help you too with her free money quiz.  You can read all about Ilana and her work here or on any of my social pages Facebook | LikedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube