Happy New Year, Reader!

I'm incredibly honored that you've chosen to connect with me in 2024 on my journey with this newsletter. One of my biggest goals for 2025 is to make this newsletter more valuable to you by providing more easy-to-understand information and practical tips that you can use to make your financial life better.

That all starts today!

Quitter's Day

Ever heard of Quitter's Day? It comes on the second Friday of January every year, and it is supposedly the day on which people are most likely to give up on their New Year's resolutions. We've all been there before, right? I know I have. I'd bet you have to.

There are a thousand reasons why we give up on our resolutions, but one of the biggest is simply that we've made unachievable or unrealistic goals. Of course, there's nothing wrong with taking a big swing -- if you reach for the stars and fail, you may still end up on the moon, right? -- but sometimes a goal is so big and daunting that it can actually be demotivating.

With that in mind, I present The Ask Questions 2025 Challenge. It is simple. It is achievable. It is relevant. And it might even be fun...

My challenge to you

Sometime in January, contact a business you work with and ask them to change something. That's it.

• Ask your cellphone provider to lower your monthly bill
• Ask your credit card issuer to lower your interest rate, waive a fee or give you a bigger credit limit
• Ask the furniture store or appliance store to waive a delivery fee
• Ask a hotel to upgrade your hotel room or a rental car company to upgrade your rental
• Ask your medical provider to reduce a recent bill
• Ask a mechanic for a lower price on a car repair
• Ask someone at the garage sale down the street for a lower price on something they're selling
• Ask your boss for a raise or a promotion
• Ask your realtor for lower closing costs
• Ask the car salesman for a cheaper price

There are a million options. (And many of these are covered in my book, "Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How To Take Control Of Your Financial Life." There are even word-for-word scripts.) Honestly, even just asking for a free drink refill in a place that doesn't typically offer that would work, too. (You could even ask for a burger refill, like Jia Jiang talked about in perhaps my favorite TED Talk of all time.)

Just one request.

Just one time.

That's it. That's the challenge.

It doesn't even really matter if you succeed with the ask, although it would be cool if you did. What matters most is simply the act of asking.

No, really. Just the fact that you were able to ask and then see that -- despite your sweaty hands, shaky voice and gurgling tummy -- you were just fine when it was all over is a big deal. I believe that just powering through the experience of asking will make you want to ask for something else later.

But for now, all I'm asking is for one ask, one time in one month.

And if you'd be willing to share what happened, let me know at mattschulzwrites@gmail.com. I'd love to hear.

"10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025"

I was incredibly honored to be part of this end-of-the-year story from the Associated Press. As the above headline says, the story includes useful tips that you can use to make 2025 a better financial year for you, including a bit from me about the fact that you have more power over your credit card's interest rates than you realize.

Does your group or organization need a speaker?

Another one of my big personal goals for 2025 is to do more public speaking. If you're connected with a business, nonprofit, religious group, school group or other organization that might be interested in having me talk to them, please fill out this contact form and let me know.

My message that you have way more power over your money than you realize is a simple-yet-powerful one that I shared in talks at the University of Texas at Austin, Black Barn Financial, LendingTree and other places throughout 2024. I'd love your help in spreading the word in 2025.

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That's it for now.

Here's hoping for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2025 for you and yours.

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Matt