Add perimenopause, years of putting yourself at the bottom of the list, the comparison trap that social media intensifies, and a natural dip in confidence, and it’s no wonder many are asking, is this it?

But this doesn’t have to be a cause for concern: instead it’s a chance to reclaim your confidence, rediscover your authentic self and craft a future that truly aligns with who you’re becoming. This isn’t about settling; it’s about strategic reinvention for the woman you are now. Here’s Claire’s five essential steps to move forward.

Give yourself permission to pause, as you don’t have to orchestrate a complete life overhaul immediately. Creating space for reflection allows you to think clearly and silence the external noise that clouds decision-making.

Reconnect with your essence – not just your achievements. Spend time exploring your core strengths, values and interests, asking yourself when you feel most energised and what genuinely matters to you at this stage of your life.

Challenge the limiting narratives you’ve internalised. “I’m too old to pivot,” “I must maintain constant productivity” question these inherited beliefs because most of them are outdated constructs that no longer serve your evolution.

Experiment with intentional exploration by trying something that sparks curiosity. Whether it’s a creative course, meaningful volunteering, or passion projects, these low-pressure experiments build clarity and confidence whilst honouring your desire for growth.

Finally, curate your support network thoughtfully. Be it through professional coaching, peer circles or trusted confidantes, don’t navigate this transition in isolation – external perspective provides clarity and momentum when you need it most.

“This stage of life isn’t the conclusion of your story,” adds Claire. “It’s the opening chapter of your most authentic era, an opportunity to prioritise yourself, rebuild unshakeable confidence and create a future that genuinely excites you.”

For more information head to see www.drclairekaye.com or @drclairekayecoaching

The post After your career: what’s next? appeared first on Checklists.

Most people at some point in their lives will need legal help. Whether this is for a divorce, employment issue or the passing of a family member. Many of us wonder if we can afford it? Legal representation and support aren’t cheap, but there are many ways in which you can get free or affordable legal help if you really need it.

1. Legal Aid

Legal aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family mediation, and representation in a court or tribunal. You’ll usually need to show that your case is eligible for legal aid, the problem is serious and you cannot afford to pay for legal costs

There are many reasons why someone would want to request legal aid. You or your family may be at risk of abuse or serious harm, for example, domestic violence or forced marriage. You may be facing the prospect of being made homeless or losing your home. Whether you have been accused of a crime, are being discriminated against at work, or need family mediation. You may even want to bring a case under the Human Rights Act. Check whether you are entitled to Legal Aid, which can help with your legal costs.

You’ll need to show that you cannot afford to pay for this help yourself. You may have to pay some money towards the legal costs of your case or pay costs back later.

Check if you can get legal aid to get help with civil cases. Your legal adviser will usually apply for legal aid on your behalf.

Find out more at gov.uk

2. Citizen’s Advice

The first port of call for any free expert advice should be Citizen’s Advice. With so many experts available, they can give you free legal advice on a number of subjects, but you will need to book an appointment with your local office so be prepared to wait to be put in touch with someone who can help you.

Citizen’s Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, for free. Whether you want legal advice regarding debt, housing issues, immigration, health, you will be put in touch with a professional who will be able to give you impartial advice on your situation and guide you on your situation. Make sure you have all of the information to hand to prepare for your call and be very clear as to what the problem is so they can work with you to find the best solution.

Find out more at citizensadvice.org.uk

3. Law Centres

Law Centres are a great way of being able to get a free legal appointment with a trained solicitor who usually offers their time pro bono. You will need to book an appointment, and many Law Centres are incredibly busy. Each one should cover a wide range of issues such as benefits, discrimination, employment, family and housing issues. All Law Centres offer face-to-face legal advice to local residents, and some run a telephone advice line.

If you are going to ask for legal advice from a lawyer, then document all of the facts regarding your query ahead of your call. Make sure they are informed of your situation, with specifics including dates to maximise the effectiveness of your call. They can only give you advice based on the facts of your situation, and will often help draft a legal response or guide you as best they can. Further legal counsel will often be at a cost to you.

Find out more at lawcentres.org.uk

4. Trade Unions

Trade Unions will need you to be a member to be able to help you, and most often you can’t join with a pre-existing problem asking for free legal advice. However, they are really helpful when you need help and can offer you free legal advice when you need it.

You have a legal right to join a Trade Union in the UK. More than 5.5 million people are in a union – from nurses to checkout assistants to lorry drivers to airline pilots. Trade Unions are designed to stop workers from being treated unfairly and often campaign to get a better deal from their employers. Unions make sure working people get a voice at work, which has proved beneficial for many people who have struggled with employment issues.

Check out if there is a Trade Union already affiliated with your workplace, as it makes sense to join the same one. If you are unable to find this information out, then you can search by industry to understand which one represents you. BECTU for example is a union for staff, contract and freelance workers in the media and entertainment industries. While the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers represents workers in the retail, distributive, manufacturing and service sectors. Each Trade Union will ask for a small monthly subscription fee.

Find out more at tuc.org.uk

5. Check your banking and insurance policies

Sometimes your banking and insurance policies will include free legal advice and help. Look at the policy documents for your car, home and other insurance policies to see if any have legal cover. It’s worth checking all of your household insurance and other policies to see if they offer free legal advice or cover.

Sometimes banks will offer legal cover policies to pursue or defend things like personal injury, employer or property disputes. Banks such as TSB offer Legal Services Insurance which covers a household rather than individual members and other such as Starling’s Business Insurance will offer legal advice and protection, should you run your own business.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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Checklist have collaborated with Net Voucher Codes to bring you these top saving tips to cut costs and spend money wisely.

1. Freeze short shelf-life products

The freezer can be a saviour for any uneaten loaf or bagel however, they often defrost feeling a little soggy, or worse, stale. To get around this, instead of defrosting them out on the side, pop them on top of the toaster for a short while. To pick up a bargain, pick up reduced baked goods from supermarkets in the evening and freeze for a rainy day.

2. Fill up the freezer

Whilst talking about freezers, stocking up is usually a good idea. They go easier on electricity and are cheaper to run when full. Just make sure to keep in mind the contents of your freezer and rotate older and new items to avoid overcrowding.

3. Less is more for your kettle

Kettle’s are the least energy-efficient appliance in the home. When filling up for your brew, only pour in enough water needed for your cuppa. Savings can be made on the water and electricity bill over time. Doing it once or twice won’t add up to much, but it will across the whole year.

4. Save even more money on water

Another water hack for those with older loos includes putting a brick inside the cistern so that less water is needed to fill to flush. Any dense object will do if you don’t have a brick to hand, such as a filled water bottle. If you do use a brick, make sure you put it in a sealed container so it doesn’t cause damage to your plumbing over time.

5. Swap what you can

Switching to discount ranges or supermarket own brands can make such a difference in expenditure. If you can’t live without certain brands, pick branded products carefully or shop smart for three weeks out of the month. You’d be surprised how indistinguishable some unbranded products are from their official versions.

6. Examine your statement

Direct debits get lost on bank statements between our day-to-day purchases. Sit down and crack on with cancelling any unnecessary direct debits. Get into the habit of logging into your online bank account once a month and making sure you’re not shelling out for services you don’t use.

7. Don’t be tempted by impulsive spending

Instead of buying straight from a shop or brand when seeing an item of clothing, do some sleuthing. Online re-selling sites often have popular, legitimate clothes and accessories listed. Search the exact brand and product name with your fingers crossed. If nothing comes up, many let users set up alerts telling you the next time an identical object goes live.

8. Get the most out of your purchases

Instead of rebuying clothes that have faded or getting rid of clothes you hate the colour of, dye them instead. There are plenty of colour options and available to pick up in most large supermarkets.

Consider sewing up and repairing worn or damaged clothes. You can get your money’s worth by then using them as pyjamas or loungewear at home.

9. Cut down on alcohol

Ditching the booze could also be a good option. Not only will it likely leave you feeling healthier, but you’ll be also saving quite a bit of cash too. By visiting the pub less you can save a lot of money, and if you need to socialise soft drinks are cheaper.

10. Get creative

There are plenty of guides online that talk through the steps of making eco-friendly and penny-saving products. From homemade cleaning detergents and soaps to candles and face scrubs, they can all be made from a few cheap extra ingredients.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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Holly Andrews, managing director at KIS Finance, has collaborated with Checklist to give you 10 top tips on sorting your personal finance, improving your savings, and dealing with debt.

1. Calculate income and expenditure

The first step in any financial situation is identification and self-awareness. Working out your total incoming and outgoing payments to develop an idea of how your money is spent and where best to focus your attention.

The variety of subscription-based services available nowadays can come as a surprise when looking at your statement. Just a few pounds a month for music services and TV shows can all add up if you’re not careful. Especially when combined with regular bills such as rent, phone bills, and travel costs.

By identifying your expenses and income, you can work out how much expendable income you have after the essentials are paid for. Using that expendable income responsibly can help you to get the most value out of your finances.

2. Adjust your lifestyle

Once you have an understanding of the current state of your finances, it’s time to make crucial adjustments to improve your quality of life.

Identify the expenses you can do without. It’s easy to not notice you’re still paying monthly for a service you no longer use. These are the sort of little changes you can make to save money and increase your available expendable income. Once you know your largest expenses, try to minimise them. If you spend too much money on lunch at work, start making packed lunches or batch-cook a hot meal for the week.

By changing your daily habits, you can reduce expenses and slowly boost your financial health.

3. Shop around

After calculating your expenses, some are considered ‘essential’ such as rent, insurance, and gas and electric bills. These expenses cannot be done away with as easily as not buying coffee out. Instead, you can try to minimise these bills.

By checking comparison websites and doing some independent digging, discovering potential savings and better offers has never been easier. It’s also very important to check if your current contracts charge a fee for cancellation or changing providers. You’ll have to balance whether swapping provider will save more money after such fees.

The savings are there to be found, especially if you consider downgrading some of your services.

4. Set targets

Creating a clear goal to reach can help motivate you to stay on top of your spending. Whether that goal is becoming debt-free or saving up for a treat, the mental benefit of an attainable number to reach is great motivation.

Your targets don’t have to be large. It’s more important to set a realistic goal and achieve it than to aspire towards an impossible number become disheartened. Consistently reaching smaller targets is more beneficial than aiming for one large figure over a long period of time.

5. Plan for the future

It’s all well and good sorting out your finances right now, but if you’re stuck in the same situation next year, it can become a chore. By maintaining your awareness of your expenditure and adjusting for any changes in your income, save yourself the effort of redoing all your work in the following year.

This links well with any of the targets you set. By organising your finances with the long-term in mind, you can set and hold yourself to a standard you can benefit from for the years and decades to come.

Saving and improving your bank account takes time, the best time to start is yesterday. By planning for the future, you can set yourself a financial roadmap to work ensure long-term economic health.

6. Get organised and keep track of debt

You may find it beneficial to create a spreadsheet so you can list each loan or credit card, the total balance, and either the minimum payment amount or any set monthly repayments. Set monthly repayments would be applicable if you’ve used one of Klarna’s instalments or financing options, for example.

Again, it may be difficult to look at your debts in black and white, and this might make you feel more stressed in the short term if the total is more than you thought. However, you are now more than likely already in a better financial position than before.

7. Focus on minimum payments

To make things feel more manageable, start by just looking at the minimum payment amount on each debt. This is the amount that you have to pay each month to avoid missed payment fees being added. It’s important that you avoid these fees if you want to prevent the debt from building up more quickly, and missing payments can also have a lasting impact on your credit score.

You should also set up a direct debit for the minimum amount each month for each credit card or loan that gives you this option. Doing this means you will never be charged missed payment fees even if you forget one month as the minimum payment will be made every month automatically.

Once the minimum amount is paid, you can then pay whatever you can afford on top. Only paying the minimum amount each month means it will take a long time to repay the debt, so you really need to pay as much as you can over this. Not only will it bring down the debt faster, but it will also save you money in interest.

8. Prioritise

When you’re working out your debt repayment strategy, you need to organise and prioritise which debts are the most important to repay. These may be the loans or credit cards with the biggest balances, or the ones that charge the highest interest rate.

Then you need to decide whether you want to try and pay off everything together, or to focus one debt at a time until each one is repaid. If you choose this method then you should start with the loan or credit card that you’ve put at the top of your priority list, putting as much as you can towards this each month, and then work down the list after each one is cleared.

Remember though to keep paying at least the minimum amount to avoid missed payment fees. You will also still need to keep paying any set monthly repayments if you’ve used buy now pay later services.

9. Consolidate

Consolidating your debts means paying off all of your loans and credit cards with one single credit facility. This will make managing your debts much easier as you’ll only have one loan, and therefore one monthly payment, to think about.

If you can find a lender that is offering a loan or credit card with 0% APR introductory period, then you could save a lot of money on interest too. This means that if you pay off the full amount within the offer period, you won’t pay any interest. Just make sure you know what the APR will be after the offer period though, as you need to ensure that this is better than the interest you’re currently paying.

10. Reach out

The past couple of years have been very difficult and financially demanding for many.

If you can’t speak to close family members or trusted friends about your problems, then there are organisations and charities that can help if you don’t know what to do. Organisations like Citizens Advice, StepChange and National Debtline can help with your finances.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Checklist’s top 10 tips for getting your finances in order appeared first on Checklists.

1. Look for the padlock symbol

Before you purchase anything online, make sure that you’re using a safe and secure website.

You can do this by checking that the web address starts with HTTPS and that there is a padlock symbol in the address bar. This means that the website is secure and any information you enter, i.e. your personal information and bank details, will be sent to the server in an encrypted format. This means that it can’t be read by anyone who tries to intercept it.

This also implies that the retailer is taking its customers’ safety seriously so it’s a good sign that they’re a genuine and honest company.

Another thing you can check for is the company’s contact details, office address, and terms of service page. Scammers who set up fake retail websites often won’t have this information as they’re not a real company and they don’t want to be contacted or traced.

2. Stick with reputable sites for big ticket items

If you’re planning to buy big tickets online, such as an iPhone or a new TV, then it’s a good idea to stick to big, well-known retailers. This is because expensive tech items are very commonly used to target shoppers as scammers can make a lot more money using these products.

They will often steal images from genuine retail websites and create adverts that promote huge discounts. For very sought after products, these adverts can be very tempting for those who are looking to purchase gifts.

Sticking to well-known reputable retailers will ensure that you’re getting a genuine product, even if it means paying a little extra. Remember that if a deal looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

3. Never pay via bank transfer

When you pay for something online, only ever use a debit card, credit card, or PayPal. If someone asks you to pay via bank transfer then this is a huge red flag. You will have little or no protection if you pay for something via bank transfer so scammers use this to their advantage. This can happen particularly with illegitimate sellers on sites like eBay.

Credit cards offer the best protection as you will be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for purchases of between £100 and £30,000. This means that your credit card provider can be held liable if there is a problem with a purchase and the supplier/retailer/seller won’t solve the issue.

With PayPal, you will be protected by their buyer protection scheme which means that they will reimburse you if your eligible purchase doesn’t arrive or doesn’t match the seller’s description.

4. Check genuine review sites

If you’re purchasing from a small retailer that you haven’t heard of or used before, make sure that you check for reviews first. You should look for reviews on well-known websites like Trust Pilot as these will feature genuine reviews from genuine customers.

Don’t just trust reviews on the website itself as these could have been written by the website creators. This definitely isn’t always the case as a lot of smaller, genuine retailers will feature real reviews on their websites, but you should always look for reviews elsewhere too.

5. Don’t feel pressured into purchasing now

If you have any doubts about a websites credibility, don’t jump the gun and purchase because the deal is short-lived. ‘This week only’ deals will still be available after an hours Googling or asking friends.

Of course, limited-time offers are extremely common nowadays, but it’s still worth taking a breath and double-checking the credibility of the seller.

6. How did they get your information?

If you get emails or texts from websites offering amazing deals on products, it’s worth working out exactly how they got a hold of your details to contact you.

You shouldn’t be receiving marketing material from websites and companies you haven’t given your information to. If you are, it could be a sign that the website is less-than-legitimate and has sent messages to every email address or phone number they could think of.

7. Set strong passwords

This seems like a simple one, but you’d be surprised how often people forget it.

Make sure your password doesn’t contain words mentioned elsewhere in your login. Also try not to include words or details about yourself that someone could find out about you online, for example the names of your children or favourite football team.

8. Research the company if you haven’t heard of them

If you’re not familiar with the website, it’s a good idea to look up the company online to ensure they’re a legitimate retailer.

If they have very few background details, or were only founded a few weeks ago, the company may be a scam.

9. Check the website’s address

I’m sure you’ve heard of amazon.com, but what about amason.com?

Some scams use slight spelling mistakes to their advantage, creating website addresses one letter off a legitimate and well-known site to direct you to their illegitimate website.

Make sure you’re on the correct website before entering payment information or clicking on anything.

10. Be wary of unfamiliar sites

Genuine retailers do use online adverts, but so do scammers and it can be very difficult to tell which ones are real and which are fake.

If the retailer is offering a discount code and urging you to click on the ad, then just take a screenshot to look at later. If the discount code is genuine then you will be able to enter it manually at checkout.

This article was created in collaboration with KIS Finance.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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