Each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what to expect for your finances in the year ahead. Hosted by Frances Cook.
It's the time of year to take stock, and your finances are the best place to start.
It impacts everything else, and you need to be honest about where you stand before making grand plans for the year.
But frankly, it's not always totally within our control. Sometimes the dice rolls in your favour, and sometimes there are clouds on the horizon that you can only try to shelter from.