WITH January 2026 approaching, Jamaicans are being encouraged to begin the new year on a stronger budgeting footing, especially after December’s heavy spending season.

Accountant and budgeting coach Patricia Henry-Brown, more popularly known on social media as Budget Auntie, says January should not be viewed as a period of punishment or extreme restriction, but rather as a time to regain control after the financial chaos of December.

“January is not about restriction,” Henry-Brown told the Jamaica Observer. “It’s about control.”

With December traditionally being the heaviest shopping period of the year, Henry-Brown shared five practical steps Jamaicans can take to recover financially and reset their budgets for the year ahead. The first step, she said, is a budget reset, which begins with mapping out how money will be spent across five key categories: groceries, transportation, bills, everyday essentials, and a small allowance for treats, noting that budgets are more sustainable when people are not made to feel deprived. She emphasised that these plans for your money should be written down rather than keeping them mental.

“If you think it, you should ink it,” she said. “If you see it in front of you on paper, you won’t have the urge for the impulse spending.”

Her advice aligns with behavioural research, which suggests that writing plans down improves follow-through. A study led by Gail Matthews of Dominican University of California found that individuals who wrote down their goals were 42 per cent more likely to achieve them than those who simply thought about them. Applied to personal finance, this suggests that a written budget is not just a record of expenses but a behavioural tool that helps individuals align daily spending decisions with longer-term financial goals. Academic research also supports the broader idea that writing down goals and plans improves self-regulation and reduces impulsive behaviour. To manage grocery spending, Henry-Brown recommends weekly meal planning and cooking meals that can stretch across multiple days.

“Cook once and eat twice,” she advised.

Soups, bone broth and stir-fries, she noted, are cost-effective options, while building grocery lists around meals that stretch helps reduce food waste and impulse purchases at the supermarket.

Her third tip is a temporary freeze on non-essential spending. Shoes, clothes and discretionary online purchases should be placed on hold, with Henry-Brown even encouraging a “no-spend January” for some households.

“Leave Amazon alone,” she urged. Using cash, she said, can also help control spending. Withdrawing a fixed amount to last the week and sticking to it forces discipline.

“When it’s finished, that’s it,” she said.

January, she added, does not have to mean social isolation. While December may have been filled with expensive outings, the new year can focus on lower-cost ways to stay connected, such as coffee walks, movie nights, potluck dinners and hosting friends at home.

“Stay connected without the financial hangover,” Henry-Brown told the Business Observer.

At the end of January she recommends beginning a broader budget plan for the rest of the year. Acknowledging that many households are still struggling financially, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Henry-Brown urged compassion and realism to not pressure yourself to do more than you comfortably can. She reminded Jamaicans that Christmas should not be defined by overspending; rather, it should be more about connecting with friends and family and less about spending big money that we don’t have, and in the midst of the nation’s recent disaster she reminded that, “we have many more Christmases to come.”

HENRY-BROWN… if you think it, you should ink it. If you see it in front of you on paper, you won’t have the urge for the impulse spending.