There has been a saying among many people in Uganda that the month of January is excessively long with many joking that January seems to have three months in one.
As is the norm in other parts of the world, Ugandans welcome the new year in a joyful mode, with festivities and parties all over the country. All this happens as a continuation of the long holiday which usually starts in early December.
Therefore, by the time we get to the 4th of Jan, many people are already broke and social media is always awash with stories and memes talking about how the month of January is too long, others say that January is divided into two parts “January North” which is for those who have money to spend and “January south” which is for those who are broke. All these jokes are meant to depict how January is a long month especially as far as finances are concerned.
In this piece, I want us to look at some of the reasons that cause people to think or believe that January is too long;
The first reason is that most people spend a lot during the festive season. The festive season begins in December but for those who are so rich, it can also start in November. Therefore during the festive season, people spend on so many things, those that they need and those that they don’t.
When it gets to Christmas, boxing day, 31st of December, and 1st of January, this is the peak of all Massive spending. People buy new clothes, eat lots of food, shop for gadgets, and so on. Therefore by the time January kicks in, people are left with very little or no money, and yet they have to go through the thirty-one days of January.
February is the month when schools usually open and so school fees are always top on the bucket list of many parents. Parents have to save money to make sure that they pay school fees for their children in February (First term). In this case, there is little money in circulation because many parents are hoarding money, waiting to pay it as fees for their children. Therefore many people are fighting for a few financial resources left. Hence making January a tough financial month.
There is a section of people who are not actively earning money during January and this leaves them with very little or nothing to spend. When you look at most people who work in schools, teachers who teach in most private schools being on top of the list, January is holiday time and so, many are not working and therefore not earning a salary, yet they have to spend. This leaves a very big portion of the population with little or no money yet they have to survive. Jan cannot be an easy month for these people.
Jan is usually a month of taking loans for many people to clear debts that were taken during the festive season. Because many people use money recklessly and out of excitement as a result of reaching the end of the year, they take many loans. Therefore by January time, people are left with nothing but only debts. In this way, January becomes so tight for all those with little Cash.
By the look of the weather patterns in Uganda, Jan is always a very sunny and hot month after a long wet season which starts in September or early October. Because Jan is so sunny, it is followed by a long drought spell that goes through to early March. This leaves farmers with dry crops and little food to offer to the public. Therefore, food becomes so expensive to buy hence spending a lot of money to get a few goods. This causes poverty among people.
However, in as much as many people consider January to be a very tough month financially, there are those people who do not find any hardships in this month. These are the people who budget well throughout the year, the ones who invest wisely, and those who don’t spend extravagantly during the festive season.
These are the people who enjoy Jan and go through it happily without any complaints. You could also be part of this happy group. Stay blessed as you enjoy January.
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