Congratulations! You’ve got the job you have been hunting for, but now comes the difficult first month. When a lot of people start a new job, they fail to consider how they are going to survive until they reach their first payday. They still have to get to work, and eat while they are there, and survive until the next day to do it all again. Then comes the weekend, and if you’re not going to get some reward for all your efforts, you may wonder what is the point of working so hard.
When you first start a new job, you will be doing everything you can to learn quickly and prove that you were the right choice for the role, and doing this with the added pressure of making ends meet for up to a month can be incredibly difficult. Here are some things to consider when you take on your new job and have to stretch a small budget across a few weeks to make it to your first proper payday.
Budget Expenses
You are probably going to have some funds to get you going, and if you have found the position while a registered job seeker, there may be additional funding available to you for transport and work clothes. It’s important that before you start your new job you write out a list of your expenses, like public transport or fuel for a car and meals, and try to balance them against your total funds. Here you will be able to see any shortcomings before they happen, allowing you to plan ahead.
Consider Short-term Finance
If you do see a deficit in your expenses and are wondering how you are going to get some extra cash, you could consider financing some money until payday from a number of sources. Friends and family may be able to give you a cash advance to help you through, and many websites like CashLady can offer quick short-term loans to help people make the ends meet until the end of the month. Responsible lending can be a great tool to use when starting a new position, taking the pressure off your budget and letting you concentrate on getting the work done.
Make Friends Quickly
Making new friends at work can have hidden benefits when starting a new job. If you live close to a new friend you may be able to save a lot of money through car sharing. Transport will be one of your biggest and most consistent costs, so the opportunity to save some money and help a friend shouldn’t be missed. They will be paying fuel costs too, so your contribution helps them – it’s a win-win. Communal lunches also help people save, so why not turn lunch hour into a buffet and spread the cost and effort it takes?
There are lots of ways to make it to your first payday, and some of them will keep saving you money all year around.