I keep seeing on the news that my bills could be going up soon. It’s making me really worried, especially as I spent more on Christmas than I should have done. How can I get my spending habits back on track in 2022?

A lot of people will be asking themselves this question right now. The good news is there are lots of things you can do to be more in control of your money and better prepared for the future.

Firstly, find out exactly what money you have coming in and going out each month. Be realistic about what you need for essentials like food and travel. Then you can set yourself a budget that you can stick to – take a look at the budgeting tool on the Citizens Advice website to help you do this.

If any of your bills do go up in the coming year, you can go back to our budgeting tool anytime to create a new plan and stay in control. Our website tips on how to reduce your regular living costs may be helpful if you find you have more money going out than coming in at any point.

You should also make sure you’re getting all the income you’re entitled to. Use the income checker on the Citizens Advice website to see if you could be getting more support, such as benefits or government grants. You can also use this to make sure you’re being paid the right wage.

If you’ve been using credit cards, your overdraft or store cards for your spending, it’s understandable if these debts are causing you worry. It’s important to prioritise paying your rent or mortgage, plus energy bills and Council Tax first though. Not paying these has the most serious consequences. On the Citizens Advice website, we have advice about which bills you need to prioritise and the support available for paying these and other bills.

Once you have planned how to pay your priority bills, the budgeting tool can help you plan how to repay credit cards, overdraft charges and store cards.

Everyone’s circumstances are different, particularly when it comes to managing personal finances. If you need more specific support or don’t feel able to manage your situation alone, call our debt helpline: 0800 240 4420. You’re not on your own.
You can also get free confidential advice at Citizens Advice Cheshire West. We are providing advice by phone and email Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm. You can contact us on our Adviceline: 0808 2787 806 or use our email enquiry service. Alternatively you can contact us through webchat accessed through the Citizens Advice website. Our in-person advice is temporarily suspended due to the new Omicron variant until further notice. Once it is safe to do so, in-person help and advice appointments will resume and be available at a number of our Community Access Points. Please click on this link for up to date information on our services and opening hours.
Copyright Citizens Advice. The advice provided in this advice column was published 10 January 2022. For the most up-to-date advice, please visit our Citizens Advice public site.