Consumer rights expert Martyn James explains why you shouldn’t panic if you didn’t stick to your New Year resolutions
How many of your 2024 New Year’s resolutions did you manage to keep?
Or did you decide not to bother when the new year rolled around? I managed to keep just the one, so don’t feel bad if yours didn’t work out! Resolutions are worth thinking about to help focus your mind on the things that you want to achieve in the coming year, but sometimes failing to stick to them can make you feel worse about yourself. The key to a successful plan for 2025, is keeping your aspirations simple and achievable.
Making a plan to regain control of your life and your finances is much easier than making and sticking to resolutions. From planning a budget to setting aside time to fight for your rights, if you follow my life and money tips for 2025, you should get the year off to a cracking start!
Split your ‘to do’ list in to separate sections
Making a list can help your mind make sense of the tasks ahead of you. As with all the tips in this article, the key is to keep things short and simple. There are loads of free online apps, websites and tools you can use to do to keep on top of your ‘to do’ list. Or if it’s easier, there’s a lot to be said for digging out a notepad or a good old fashioned pen and paper. I divide my own lists in to ‘urgent’ for the things I absolutely have to do, followed by:
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Money and finance
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Home and bills,
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Complaints I need to make
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Friends and family things
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Health and welfare
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Fun stuff
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Things I need to follow up
That might seem a lot, but if you think that you may have between three and eight things on each list, it makes it much easier to process what you have to do. A list of fifty things is hard to focus on and prioritise. Oh, and best of all, nothing beats putting a big tick next to a task that you’ve completed.
Do your finances in little chunks
Have you got ‘the fear’ about your festive spending? Dealing with your debits can be depressing – especially if you’ve let things go for a while. So go through your finances a little bit at a time. Start by looking through each bank account, credit card, store card and phone bill separately. Don’t go through all of your spending just yet. Begin by noting down your main commitments… then walk away.
It’s important to give yourself lots of breaks when budgeting so it doesn’t get on top of you. Later, go back through your statements a few looking for payments you don’t recognise. These monthly and annual subscriptions can be cancelled and claimed back if you didn’t authorise them.
Making a budget that’s achievable
Everything begins with a budget. But once again, don’t get bogged down or overwhelmed. Set yourself a time limit of no more than 30 minutes. Just getting started is the most important thing. There are loads of budget templates out there if you don’t know how to get started. I’d use the StepChange budget guide and planner.
StepChange are a fabulous free debt charity that can help you if you can’t afford your outgoings every month. Lots of other businesses mirror their budget planner so you’ll only have to fill in this one, which you can send to other businesses you owe money to if you need help.
If you have online banking, you can get a list of direct debits and standing orders. Sadly, despite what your bank says, their websites don’t list all of your regular payments. You’ll have to go back through your statements for a year to find all of those.
If you are making your own budget, then write out when your regular payments are due and total up the cost, then compare this to what’s coming in. In a separate column. Make sure you include things that you pay for as you go, like the food shop, travel and lifestyle spending, like entertainment and take out delivery.
Make complaints
I hate making complaints just as much as everyone else. I often let things go because I don’t have the time to spend on the phone to a business that’s providing a rubbish service. Yet there are things you can do to minimise a bad experience. All complaints follow a pattern, so make yourself a mini complaint template. This should include the following:
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The word COMPLAINT in capitals at the top of letter or email, along with the date.
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Any reference, account number or other customer ID (not your password details though).
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How to contact you.
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A summary of the main complaint in a few lines.
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Bullet points covering what went wrong from the beginning (keep it short).
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What you want to sort it out.
Take your template and jot down in your own words what you’re unhappy with – and what you want to sort things out. This will help you focus on the key issues and not get distracted. Doing this can help focus your mind if you are planning on calling the firm.
Many businesses are making it difficult to email them your complaint these days, so if you manage to speak to a person, tell them you want to make a formal complaint and ask them what the process is. Half of all business sectors in the UK have a free ombudsman service or alternative dispute resolution scheme that you can go to for free if you’re not happy with the response. So make it clear you’ll take it further.
Make the most of the help that’s out there
I’m pleased to say that all of my columns from the last few years are still available on my page on the Mirror website. You can search the website for key words too. So if you need advice on anything from pet insurance to parking tickets, it’s all there – for free!
If you are making new year’s resolutions… Nobody is perfect, so don’t be so hard on yourself if you don’t stick to your plans. Just focus on a few key things you need that will make you happier or less worried. If you manage to achieve any of the others, it’s a bonus. And allow yourself a reward when you achieve your goals too. You deserve it.
- Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist
