By Osoro Jnr, K24 Digital On Fri, 20 Jan, 2023 07:00 | 2 mins read
Many Kenyans often refer to January as a tough month, and the perception among Kenyans of different social classes has seen the first month of the year christened ‘Njaanuary’.
The moniker ‘Njaanuary’ is an infusion of the Kiswahili word ‘njaa’ (meaning hunger), and the name January.
Most people are often faced with the stark reality of their financial situation as several activities that require finances hit them in January.
Most employed Kenyans are always super broke as the year opens after exhausting their December earnings during the festivities.
A majority of employers in the country often disburse December salaries to their employees’ accounts mid-month.
This practice, coupled with extravagance during Christmas and the New Year celebrations, leaves employed Kenyans bankrupt as they face the financial blues of January.
Here are some of the popular things about January;
Back-to-school obligations
Fresh from the festivities that come with celebrations, holiday vacations, and a lot of spending during family gatherings, most Kenyan parents are often faced with a hard time meeting their financial obligations in the new year.
One of the obligations that often stress out Kenyan parents in January is offsetting their children’s school fees.
Rush for soft loans
Faced with the financial blues of January, most Kenyans end up taking loans to offset their bills after overspending during the festivities. They often throng microfinance institutions or offer their personal effects to shylocks.
Urge to open savings accounts
Having experienced the effects of being spendthrift during the festive season, most Kenyans are often hit by the urge to come up with a savings scheme so as to avoid being cash-strapped in the future.
This sees an influx in the creation of savings accounts with SACCOs, banks, or microfinance institutions.
Joining the gym
As part of new year resolutions, many Kenyans often have the urge to register at a gym to check on their fitness levels.
Apart from increasing their fitness levels, they often hope that gym membership will also help them in relieving stress, socializing and weight management.
Diversification of income streams
Fresh from bearing the brunt of poor financial decisions in December, most Kenyans in the working class often start the year with an urge to diversify their income streams.
This includes learning new skills, investing in forex and money market funds, buying stocks and shares among others. Most Kenyans often wish to have as many passive incomes as possible.
