MAKING CENTS: Make life easier by taking control of your finances

Consumer advice with Gráinne McGuinness

Are you fed up of New Year’s resolutions yet? No sooner have we polished off the turkey than we are surrounded by admonitions to declutter, get fit and generally revolutionise our lives. There are two problems with many of these lists. One is they ask you to do far too much at once — presented with a list of ten changes to make, most of us will end up doing precisely nothing. The other is they are too general — “get fitter” means running a marathon to one person but getting off the couch for a walk three times a week to another.

The same is true of financial plans — the ones that work best are those that are manageable and specific to your situation.