6 things to tick off at the start of 2023

Chelsea Smith from The Organising Platform demonstrates how to make environmentally-friendly cleaning sprays and scrubs

Give your car some love

Your car deserves some attention too as we head into the new year. Check that your car insurance and Emergency Roadside Assistance are both up to date, with the correct details and level of cover.

Get any outstanding damage repaired – although if you only have minor cosmetic scratches, you can learn how to fix car scratches yourself. You should also consider booking your car in for a service if it’s been a while, or before departing on summer road trips.  
 
This summer might also be a good time to learn some easy DIY car maintenance to catch any warning signs early on.

Finally, treat your car to a thorough declutter and go to a car wash so it looks as good as it drives.

Undertake important health checks

The new year is a perfect time to review your health goals and tick off check-ups that you might have missed. Make those dental and optical appointments, book in for a skin check, and see if your health insurance makes you eligible for a health review. RACV Members save on OPSM, Sunglass Hut and Oakley eyewear and accessories if you need some new glasses after your eye test.

Don’t forget the health of your pets too! A routine vet check-up can find and solve potential issues before they become problematic.

Review your financial wellbeing

Taking care of your financial wellbeing will put you in a strong position for the year ahead. Take the time to review your personal loans, credit card debts, membership and subscription fees before creating your 2023 budget. Are there any subscriptions you want to cull to make room for further savings or discretionary spending?

With energy costs tipped to increase in 2023, smart investments around the home can help reduce your energy bills and consumption. A green loan can help finance energy-efficient additions to your home such as solar panels, a solar battery, heat pump hot water system or LED lighting.

Simple lifestyle changes and cost-effective home investments can improve your energy efficiency.

Adjust your home insurance

The start of the year is the perfect time to adjust your home and contents insurance to reflect changes to your lifestyle over the past year. Were you given any Christmas presents of high monetary value that need to be covered? Did you undertake any renovations this year? Or did you downsize your home contents, or Marie Kondo your wardrobe enough that your home inventory needs shrinking? Perhaps you forgot to insure some items last year? If your circumstances changed, update your home insurance to ensure your cover is adequate for your current level of possessions.

Update your calendar

Whether you use digital or physical calendars, sitting down with your household to enter important dates can help you stay organised year-round. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and events or travel that you’ve already booked can all be written in. If you’ve gone digital, consider syncing important dates across your calendars.

You could also use this time to consider travel and holidays for the year, so you can apply for leave early and nab some great travel deals.

^{The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions, please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.}