Tomorrow is 1st January 2025 - for some, it's a new day, a new year and a fresh start.  So many of us wait for the right time to start, the right time to do something new, the best time.  Believe it or not, the best time is generally now.  The best time is when you make the decision to make the change.

In November 2024, I decided I wanted to improve my gym technique.  I know how to work out.  I know how to lift weights.  I know how to exercise but I wanted to get better because there is always more to learn.  I could have waited until January when most gyms are full to the brim, I could have waited until I felt ready, I could have just waited.  I decided to hire a trainer to work with me one to one and help me make subtle changes.

There is power in decision.  There is power in momentum.  Even if you already know how to do something, there is always room to improve.

Happy New Year 2025 - decide to take action and then take action today.

Book in for a chat to see how hiring a money coach can help you make subtle changes to improve.

One of the most common questions I am asked is "What should I invest in?"

My answer is always the same.  It depends on what you value.

I enjoy art and art galleries.  I invested in a year's membership of the National Gallery in Ireland.  This gives me free access to paid exhibitions, a discount in the cafe and the shop (very handy for last minute unusual gifts), and so much more.  Most of the National Gallery is free anyway but membership gives me a few little extras.

Sunday is my switch off day.  One of the ways I switch off is to walk around a gallery or museum.

If there is a location or activity that you enjoy and go to regularly, why not consider an annual membership if it is available?  It often works out considerably cheaper and gives so much more.  Many years ago, when I lived close to Dublin Zoo, I had an annual membership so that my son and I could visit as often as we wanted at no extra cost.

As Ramit Sethi, the author of I will teach you to be rich says, "spend extravagantly on the things you love and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don't".

This does not mean you ignore your basic utilities, however, knowing your values and understanding what is important to you will help guide your spending decisions.

My working day starts at 8.30am. I get up at 6am, do some journaling, drink a green smoothie before heading to the gym.

My secret to motivating myself to go the gym every morning at 7am is that I get to have a gorgeous, long, hot, uninterrupted shower at the end in a bathroom that I do not have to clean.   I have lots of space to do my hair and make-up.  My house has the world's smallest bathroom.

Leveraging resources is one of the key steps towards financial freedom.

Using a credit card properly is one way to use other people's money for free.  I am a big fan of credit when used correctly.

1. Use a credit card that offers rewards; this will vary from country to country but Google options, do comparisons and you do not have to use a credit card from the same bank that you do your daily banking with.
2. Always pay your balance in full each month.  Putting the bill on direct debit is the easiest way to do this.
3. Use your credit card for small things as well as big things, particularly if you are paying bank charges for debit card transactions.  Saving money on unnecessary bank charges can save you hundreds of euro every year.
4. Check your transactions daily to avoid fainting when the bill comes in.
5. Check if your credit card offers extra benefits such as insurance for electronic equipment or travel insurance.  It's always asking what else is on offer.
6. Make a spending plan and stick to it.  A credit card is not extra money, it is simply a FREE way of spending money you already have planned to spend.  I use YNAB to manage my spending plans.

The more I move my body, the more flexible I am.  Your personal spending plan should not feel restrictive, it's yours, you designed it.  By taking a more zen approach to life in general, your physical and financial fitness will improve.

The other hidden benefit to being a regular gym visitor is that I get to wear fancy yoga pants.