New Year, Clearer Finances: Making Smart Money and Retirement Decisions After the Holidays

There’s something about the Christmas break that makes us reflective. Maybe it’s the slower pace, maybe it’s the Boxing Day food coma, or maybe it’s the sudden realisation that your parents retired at 60 and you’re still Googling “how much super should I have at my age??”

Either way, the holidays are a great time to check in on your work/life balance and financial expectations, not in a stressful way, but in that calm, iced-coffee-in-hand, beach-chair kind of way.

Here’s how to keep the holiday vibes and the retirement goals intact.

Be Realistic About What Retirement Actually Looks Like

A lot of us picture retirement as an endless holiday: long lunches, a caravan by the beach, a cheeky trip to Italy “just because”.

Reality? Retirement is amazing when it’s planned for. Holiday mode can make everything feel affordable (“future me will sort it!”), so use this time to ask:

What lifestyle do I actually want long-term?
How often do I want to travel?
Do I want to work part-time or fully retire?
Am I a “simple life” person or a “wine tour in France” person?

Once you know the dream, you can plan for the price tag.

Don’t Compare Your Holidays to Other People’s

Scrolling Instagram at Christmas is dangerous. Everyone looks like they’re living their best life… even if they’re secretly broke, maxed-out, or living off Afterpay and hope.

Your current holiday spend doesn’t need to match someone else’s bank account. Your retirement won’t either.

Focus on your own goals, your own budget, and your own timeline. Comparison is the quickest way to ruin both your holidays and your financial planning.

Give Yourself Permission to Holiday… Without Blowing the Future

Yes, it’s Christmas. Yes, you can relax your budget a little. But not so much that January-you need CPR.

A good rule of thumb:

Set a holiday budget
Add 20% for “unexpected” festive chaos
Actually stick to it

You don’t need to cancel joy. Just keep one eye on the present and one eye on future-you reclining on a deck chair in retirement.

Use the Downtime to Do a Quick Financial Health Check

You don’t need to do a deep dive—just a little “summer skim”. Grab a cold drink and check:
Your super balance — is it tracking roughly with your age and target retirement timeline?
Your contributions — could you start salary sacrificing more next year?
Your investment options — are you in a fund that still matches your risk profile?
Your expenses — where could you free up money in 2026 without feeling deprived?

A quick check now can save months of “I’ll sort it soon” energy later.

Keep Expectations Flexible

Life changes. Markets wobble. Interest rates do whatever they feel like. Your retirement plan should evolve with you, not guilt-trip you.

You might realise over Christmas that:

You want a simpler retirement
Or a bigger one
Or an earlier one
Or that you actually love working part-time and want to keep earning for longer

All of that is completely fine. Financial expectations aren’t meant to be set in stone—they’re meant to be shaped by your life, not the other way around.

Considering Whether It’s Time to Change Jobs

Holidays often also give you the first quiet moment to ask the big career question: “Is this job still working for me, my family and for my future?”

Use this checklist to think it through:

Work Satisfaction Check

Am I consistently burnt out or dreading work?
Have I stopped learning or progressing?
Does my job support the lifestyle I want now and later?

Financial Fit Check

Is my salary growing in line with the cost of living?
Does this role help me reach my retirement goals, or is it holding me back?
Would a new role offer better income, flexibility, or benefits (e.g., higher super)?

Future Direction Check

Does this role still align with the career I want?
Are there opportunities to grow where I am, or am I stuck?
If nothing changed at work for the next 2 years, would I be happy?

Wellbeing Check

Do I feel valued?
Is the work environment healthy?
Does my job support work–life balance, not work–life burnout?

If you answer “no” to several of these, it might be worth exploring your options in the new year, quietly, calmly, and without quitting your job on Boxing Day.

Plan for January Action

Write down 2–3 financial tasks for the new year
Book a financial advisor appointment if you want clearer strategy
If you’re thinking about a job change: update your CV, check the market, and explore without pressure
Set one small, achievable Q1 goal

Book in Time for Professional Advice (When January Arrives)

Christmas is for relaxing. January is for action.

If your holiday reflection made you realise you need a clearer plan, consider speaking to a financial adviser early in the new year. It’s one of the best ways to turn vague goals into a real, doable strategy.

Your retirement dream is still absolutely achievable. It may just need a bit of attention, a dash of realism, and a plan that doesn’t get lost somewhere between the trifle and the Boxing Day sales.

Enjoy the holidays. Future-you will thank you!