2024 vs 2025 vs a Projection of 2026

2024 vs 2025

I can’t believe I am entering 2026 now. It seemed like it was 2016 just a few weeks ago, and now. That is a decade. We are closer to 2050 than 2000 and it just makes me feel icky. The last two years have flown by. 2025 especially has been going at an incredible pace where I had to remind myself to grab my seat before the ride ended.

 2024 was one of the most developmental years of my life. In the beginning of 2024, I ballooned up to my heaviest weight of my life. 220 pounds on the scale is a similar weight that my 50 year old dad was and for the first time, our scales read the same. This was the first full year that I moved to a sedentary job. I didn’t realize how much I was moving in my previous job but all of the sweet treats at 10 o clock finally caught up to me as I read that 220 pounds on the scale. I kept eating pasta and cakes until finally in the summer of 2024 where I hit the largest amount of anxiety that I have ever felt before in my life. I thought that episode was done but the finale still had to air and for the next couple of months, I was not happy anywhere. I had anxiety following me at work, at school, at any outing, and especially at home. That is a different type of anxiety when you are anxious in your own home. A supposed safe zone was troubling me. It tied itself to food. Any time I ate, it would give me a throwing up feeling. I was queasy my entire time at home. Before food, and after food. It bounded itself to me and I couldn’t get rid of it. I decided to go to therapy again. I decided to start exercising again. I started to do things that made me happy. I also stayed busy. I had some rough nights, but I was able to improve slowly but surely.

 I finally felt like I hit my stride as an adult and it felt that way. My brain felt like it had finally matured after over 25 years. I was in a stable relationship, a stable job, training for a marathon, and saving more money than ever before.

2025 was a different year. I spent more money than I ever have before. I went on two skiing trips, five cruises, and a short getaway to an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas. Two were travel agent special rates, two family cruises, two trips with friends, a Bachelor/Bachelorette trip, and a family skiing excursion where I proposed. The only vacation that I said no to was a trip to Europe due to money.

2026 is starting to look similar as two cruises have been booked. One in January, and one in October.

2025 was the first year where I had to pay taxes, one of the more bitter uses of money in my life. That sent me on a downward spiral regarding my finances and truly I never got the ship back online. I was able to put a couple thousand towards my Roth IRA but the real winner was the HSA. Where I was finally able to max out that account. If I didn’t max out an HSA, and take my employer match I could have filled out a Roth IRA but I decided to accept the two accounts that had free money sponsored by my employer. I am in a rush to max out my HSA as I’m not sure that I will be able to have access to it outside of my current employer’s health plan. If I fill out the annual limit, and get 10% return each year on that money would grow over $400,000 in 40 years. In 40 years when my health could be declining. Or HOPEFULLY. I can use it as another retirement account. Just for a small $10,000 seed. That is when compound interest really excites me.

Taxes, HSA, and vacations. That is what 2025 consisted of. It was once again, a successful year but less financially successful year and more PERSONALLY successful. I hope 2026 can find a balance but with weddings, honeymoons, and new cars on the horizon. I am not sure if this will be the case. This I plan to have another personally excellent year, and I am looking into one of the more expensive hobbies I have taken part in. A triathlon. New bike, tuneups, wetsuits, pool fees, fuel, and time expensive as well. Many days will be taken up by a new training regimen. At the end of this year I hope I am in better health, married to a wonderful woman, almost finished with college, fill out a few tax advantaged retirement accounts, still working at a solid job and able to take many trips.

2024 was great. 2025 was great in a different way. 2026 will be even better.