New Year January 2025

This New Year brings new challenges. Many people, or their families are having to make cutbacks in their spending owing to the rise in prices and general state of the economy at the present time. Without going into the possible reasons political or otherwise for this, it is a situation that can affect our mental health and wellbeing. In my conversations with the elderly, even if they have no financial worries themselves, they are naturally concerned for their children or other family members.

It does not help living in a society where we are encouraged by the media through magazines, newspapers and social media to spend extravagantly on non-essential items. This encouragement is from subtle types of advertising which suggests, from a recent example, that we may be embarrassed by the state of our kitchens – so we need a new kitchen. Another very common form of advertising is to suggest that we have a problem which we didn't have until it was suggest we had! Then when we are convinced we have a problem it is an easier job to sell us the product or service that will fix it. It is no coincidence that the two most advertised things on radio are gambling and fast food, things that can be detrimental to your finances and health if taken to excess.

The other factor is that it is easy to get used to a particular way of living, which is OK if that way of life is affordable both for us and for those we live with. But when circumstances change and we can no longer, for instance afford to buy three or 4 coffees a week, rely on costly takeaway meals or go out regularly with friends, can we change our habits and not get into debt.

An alternative way is to resist the lure of advertising and influencers and to establish what things are really the most important in our lives. For me and for many these are family and the caring relationships we have with others. Also, we may not think of ourselves as influencers -in the modern sense of the word, but what we do and say does influence the behaviour of those around us.

My father didn't ever gamble and if he was alive today would be saddened to see how much the opportunity to gamble has increased. I asked him once why he would not take part in raffles and other lottery type competitions and he told me that while he had the self-control to only spend what he could afford others may see him take part, start gambling themselves and not be able to keep to what they could afford to lose. He reminded me of the saying 'My brother's keeper' which actually comes from a verse from the bible 'Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper, and the finder of lost children. (Ezekiel 25:17).