[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":386},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-en-year-end-money-review":3},{"post":4,"related":367,"translations":381},{"id":5,"title":6,"body":7,"date":344,"description":345,"extension":346,"icon":347,"key":348,"keywords":349,"meta":356,"navigation":264,"path":357,"seo":358,"slug":359,"stem":360,"tags":361,"__hash__":365,"minutes":366},"blog/blog/en/year-end-money-review.md","The Year-End Money Review: One Calm Hour Between Christmas and New Year",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":330},"minimark",[10,14,18,26,31,38,45,48,52,55,62,66,69,72,76,83,86,89,93,96,121,124,180,183,187,190,193,197,204,207,225,228,232,235,249,253,297,301,304,307],[11,12,6],"h1",{"id":13},"the-year-end-money-review-one-calm-hour-between-christmas-and-new-year",[15,16,17],"p",{},"The days between Christmas and New Year have a feel all of their own. The calendar is emptier, the phone is quieter, and somewhere between the leftover biscuits and the long walks, a question drifts in: how did this year actually go? Money included?",[15,19,20,21,25],{},"A year-end money review doesn't have to be a big project. ",[22,23,24],"strong",{},"One hour is enough",", plus a cup of tea and the budget book. This isn't an audit of every transaction or a grade. It's simply a calm look back, once a year, so January can start with a clear head.",[27,28,30],"h2",{"id":29},"where-did-the-money-go","Where did the money go?",[15,32,33,34,37],{},"Start with the big picture. Look at the whole year's spending by category and write down the ",[22,35,36],{},"top five",". For most people, housing, groceries and transport sit at the top. That's normal, and nothing to worry about.",[15,39,40,41,44],{},"The more interesting question sits underneath: ",[22,42,43],{},"does this split match what actually matters?"," For someone who loves to travel, holidays in fourth place are good news. If takeaways are running just behind groceries, that's at least worth a second look.",[15,46,47],{},"Glance at the shops and services paid most often, too. A handful of names can say more about a year than any category.",[27,49,51],{"id":50},"what-was-a-surprise","What was a surprise?",[15,53,54],{},"Every year has its outliers. The washing machine that gave up in March. A friend's wedding. The back payment on the service charges. Jot down two or three surprises, good ones and bad ones.",[15,56,57,58,61],{},"Then the question: ",[22,59,60],{},"was it really unpredictable?"," Some things are. But a lot of it comes back every year in a slightly different shape: presents in December, insurance in January, holidays in summer. Comparing this year with last year quickly shows which months always run more expensive. Anything that repeats isn't a surprise any more. It's something to plan for.",[27,63,65],{"id":64},"which-fixed-costs-can-go","Which fixed costs can go?",[15,67,68],{},"The year-end review is the perfect moment to walk through the fixed costs. Streaming, apps, memberships, cloud storage: for each one, a brief check whether it was really used this year.",[15,70,71],{},"It doesn't all have to be sorted out today. Just mark what can go, and cancel it in the first days of January. For a deeper pass, our post on the fixed costs check walks through it step by step.",[27,73,75],{"id":74},"how-did-the-net-worth-change-and-why","How did the net worth change, and why?",[15,77,78,79,82],{},"Now for the whole picture: compare the net worth at the start of the year with today. The number matters less than the ",[22,80,81],{},"why",". Did it change because of saving? Because prices went up or down? Because something owned lost value?",[15,84,85],{},"That distinction takes the pressure off. Nobody controls market swings. The amount saved is within reach, and that's the figure worth feeling proud of.",[15,87,88],{},"For how to bring everything together in one place, see our post on tracking net worth.",[27,90,92],{"id":91},"a-worked-example","A worked example",[15,94,95],{},"Meet Lena. Her year in brief:",[97,98,99,106,112],"ul",{},[100,101,102,105],"li",{},[22,103,104],{},"Biggest categories:"," housing €11,400, groceries €5,200, transport €3,600, going out and restaurants €2,900, holidays €2,400",[100,107,108,111],{},[22,109,110],{},"Surprise:"," a new washing machine for €680",[100,113,114,117,118],{},[22,115,116],{},"Fixed costs that can go:"," two streaming services (€13.99 and €9.99) and a gym she barely used (€34.90). Together that's €58.88 a month, or ",[22,119,120],{},"about €707 a year",[15,122,123],{},"Her net worth grew from €18,400 to €23,300, up €4,900. Where did that come from?",[125,126,127,140],"table",{},[128,129,130],"thead",{},[131,132,133,137],"tr",{},[134,135,136],"th",{},"Reason",[134,138,139],{},"Change",[141,142,143,152,160,168],"tbody",{},[131,144,145,149],{},[146,147,148],"td",{},"Saved (income minus spending)",[146,150,151],{},"+€5,600",[131,153,154,157],{},[146,155,156],{},"Gold and crypto gained value",[146,158,159],{},"+€800",[131,161,162,165],{},[146,163,164],{},"Car lost value",[146,166,167],{},"−€1,500",[131,169,170,175],{},[146,171,172],{},[22,173,174],{},"Change in net worth",[146,176,177],{},[22,178,179],{},"+€4,900",[15,181,182],{},"Lena can see that most of it came from her own saving. The car lost value, as cars do. No drama, just an honest picture.",[27,184,186],{"id":185},"which-savings-goals-were-reached","Which savings goals were reached?",[15,188,189],{},"Look at the savings goals. Which ones are full? Which ones moved forward a good way? An emergency fund that grew from nothing to three months of expenses is a real win, even if the target was six.",[15,191,192],{},"Take a moment to celebrate that. Really. Looking only at what's missing is the fastest way to lose heart. And for the goals that didn't work out: were they too big, too vague, or did life just get in the way? All three answers are fine.",[27,194,196],{"id":195},"three-small-intentions-for-next-year","Three small intentions for next year",[15,198,199,200,203],{},"Finally: ",[22,201,202],{},"three"," intentions. No more. And concrete enough that next December it's clear whether they happened.",[15,205,206],{},"For example:",[208,209,210,215,220],"ol",{},[100,211,212],{},[22,213,214],{},"Cancel the three marked fixed costs by 10 January.",[100,216,217],{},[22,218,219],{},"Set up a €150 standing order to savings on the first of every month.",[100,221,222],{},[22,223,224],{},"Set a €250 monthly budget for restaurants and takeaways.",[15,226,227],{},"Small intentions sound unexciting. But they stick, and that's the whole point.",[27,229,231],{"id":230},"what-not-to-do","What not to do",[15,233,234],{},"Two traps many people fall into:",[97,236,237,243],{},[100,238,239,242],{},[22,240,241],{},"Self-criticism."," Yes, maybe December was expensive. Maybe a savings goal was missed. Harsh judgement changes none of that. It only makes the next look at the budget book feel worse. Curious beats strict.",[100,244,245,248],{},[22,246,247],{},"Twenty resolutions at once."," Save more, order less, log every receipt, learn to invest, pay off the loan faster… A long list feels great on 31 December and is forgotten by mid-February. Three is plenty.",[27,250,252],{"id":251},"the-one-hour-checklist","The one-hour checklist",[97,254,257,267,273,279,285,291],{"className":255},[256],"contains-task-list",[100,258,261,266],{"className":259},[260],"task-list-item",[262,263],"input",{"disabled":264,"type":265},true,"checkbox"," Noted the five biggest spending categories of the year",[100,268,270,272],{"className":269},[260],[262,271],{"disabled":264,"type":265}," Wrote down two or three surprises, and checked whether they'll come back",[100,274,276,278],{"className":275},[260],[262,277],{"disabled":264,"type":265}," Went through the fixed costs and marked what to cancel",[100,280,282,284],{"className":281},[260],[262,283],{"disabled":264,"type":265}," Compared the net worth with the start of the year and understood why it changed",[100,286,288,290],{"className":287},[260],[262,289],{"disabled":264,"type":265}," Acknowledged the savings goals that were reached",[100,292,294,296],{"className":293},[260],[262,295],{"disabled":264,"type":265}," Wrote three concrete intentions for the new year",[27,298,300],{"id":299},"the-bottom-line","The bottom line",[15,302,303],{},"A year-end money review isn't a test. It's a calm look back: where the money went, what was a surprise, what can go and what has been built. Add three small intentions instead of a long list. One quiet hour between the years, and the next one starts with a clear head.",[305,306],"hr",{},[15,308,309,316,317,323,324,329],{},[310,311,313],"a",{"href":312},"/en/features",[22,314,315],{},"Money Koi"," makes that hour easier. Analytics in Pro brings category breakdowns, period comparisons, top merchants, a spending heatmap, seasonal patterns and automatic insights, plus net worth over time and a fixed costs overview. Savings goals with progress rings are part of the free budget book, which needs no account. The app works without an internet connection and is available for ",[310,318,322],{"href":319,"rel":320},"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.psyren.moneykoi",[321],"nofollow","Android on Google Play",", and with Cloud also in the browser at ",[310,325,328],{"href":326,"rel":327},"https://my.moneykoi.com",[321],"my.moneykoi.com",". iOS is planned for the end of 2026.",{"title":331,"searchDepth":332,"depth":332,"links":333},"",2,[334,335,336,337,338,339,340,341,342,343],{"id":29,"depth":332,"text":30},{"id":50,"depth":332,"text":51},{"id":64,"depth":332,"text":65},{"id":74,"depth":332,"text":75},{"id":91,"depth":332,"text":92},{"id":185,"depth":332,"text":186},{"id":195,"depth":332,"text":196},{"id":230,"depth":332,"text":231},{"id":251,"depth":332,"text":252},{"id":299,"depth":332,"text":300},"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z","Where did the money go, what was a surprise, which goals were reached? How to do a calm year-end money review in one hour, without self-criticism.","md","lucide:calendar-check","finanz-jahresrueckblick",[350,351,352,353,354,355],"year end financial review","annual money review","end of year finance checklist","personal finance year in review","financial new year resolutions","review your spending for the year",{},"/blog/en/year-end-money-review",{"title":6,"description":345},"year-end-money-review","blog/en/year-end-money-review",[362,363,364],"Year in Review","Overview","Habits","u6W0cXXJaz4t4N_WAMdSVF6RIJAUSFyYIm82M2P2hUQ",6,[368,372,377],{"key":369,"slug":370,"title":371,"minutes":366},"vermoegen-im-blick-behalten","track-your-net-worth","The Whole Net Worth in View: Accounts, Gold, Crypto and Property",{"key":373,"slug":374,"title":375,"minutes":376},"sparziele-erreichen","savings-goals-that-work","Savings Goals That Actually Get Reached: Specific, Automatic, Visible",5,{"key":378,"slug":379,"title":380,"minutes":366},"geld-verleihen-freunde-familie","track-money-lent-to-friends","Money Lent, Money Borrowed: Keep Track Without the Awkwardness",[382,384],{"code":383,"slug":348},"de",{"code":385,"slug":359},"en",1792839598577]