In 2033, what might you say to the you of today? That’s the you who has launched into 2023 and all that it will bring – good, bad, and sometimes just meh.

Since we are all our greatest critics, it’s probably a good guess you’re thinking about the things you could do better and maybe beating yourself up over mistakes you’ve made.

The Debtfix Crew think it would be great if we all started every day, not just each New Year, with positive goals to boost our confidence and to better manage our money.

If you’re worried about money right now you are not alone.

Last month it was revealed that “concern about personal finances is now considered to be the biggest impact on New Zealanders’ mental wellbeing, likely related to the increased cost of living.”

Now we are in the Christmas and summer holiday season, which is one of the most challenging times of the year for everyone. There is help.

The Debtfix Crew are helping more New Zealanders with debt that has resulted from gambling.

We’re not sure why gambling harm is more prevalent now, but we do know there are many ways to clear debt that are more reliable than a pokie machine or a bet on the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

If you or someone close to you struggles with gambling, there are support organisations and solutions to make changes for good.

Death is a topic that makes many people uncomfortable, but it is a reality none of us can avoid – not even the royal family.

There’s plenty of advice about preparing wills to pass on your assets to whoever you choose when you die, but when you are more likely to have debts than dollars – what happens?

Will your partner or children have to pay off your debts, or do the debts disappear?

During Money Week the Debtfix Crew wanted to know what New Zealanders were wondering about bankruptcy.

We threw some questions out into cyberspace, and you gave us an insight into what you think our people know about the debt solution.

Most significantly, 86 per cent of respondents wanted to reduce the whakamā (shame) people may experience when they are bankrupt.

Since 2019, the total number of applications for bankruptcy in New Zealand have decreased, as have the number of bankruptcy judgments approved by the courts.

The Debtfix Crew is stoked to hear the good news, but we know our work is not yet done.

There are different thoughts about why the number of bankruptcies has decreased, mainly focused on the money distributed to businesses to minimise the fallout from Covid restrictions.

Why is it always so easy to sign up for something and so mind-numbingly difficult to shut that same something down when we are done with it?

It’s like joining a club or maybe even a cult – that no one will let you leave.

If you have signed up to direct debits to pay for a gym membership, power account, phone bill, insurances, or any other regular bills, it can feel impossible to stop the payments.

When you are just making do, all it takes is one serious accident to suddenly mean you can’t make do. For hardworking Duane, it was a back injury that took him out of his timber mill job and while he recuperated his ACC income was 20 per cent less than usual.

Throw in a global pandemic when he was just getting back into fulltime work, along with his wife losing her job, and you have a seemingly insurmountable financial blizzard.

When signing up to study at a tertiary level thoughts of career prospects, learning about subjects you’re really interested in and student parties are most likely top of mind. For most New Zealanders, university or polytechnic life also means signing up for a student loan.

Debtfix advocates paying off the most expensive debts first and the advantage of a student loan is that while students remain in New Zealand, they have an interest free loan. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that.

That’s another Christmas done, the kids are back to school (hopefully for a full year) and the working year should be in full swing (Covid traffic lights willing).

How’s your credit card feeling? Is it suffering from Paywave fatigue? How about that buy now, pay later account? Has later arrived much sooner than expected?

If you are feeling the effects of post-holiday-debt-disorder you are not alone and now is the time to make one small change to prevent the same cash-tastrophe next Christmas.

You would be hard pressed to find an adult in New Zealand who doesn’t have some debt, because even signing up for electricity supply or mobile phone plans are both forms of debt.

The Debtfix Crew has noticed many people have similar experiences when debt threatens to swamp them.

What are some warning signs your debt is getting out of control?

When New Zealanders get out of lockdown and many of them hit the shops, they may be very surprised if they try to borrow money or buy something with an interest free retailer loan. Borrowers will need to provide much more information, which may be a shock to the system for many people.