Time to draw up your end-of-year financial to-do list

It might be the last thing you want to think of at the end of a year full of financial stress, but your financial to-do list can make 2026 much better.

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As 2025 draws to a close and the focus shifts from deadlines to doing what really makes us happy, the last thing most people want to think about is their financial circumstances, although this is exactly when an end-of-year to-do list can make all the difference to your stress levels come January.

Melody Cloete, FAIS representative and training specialist at Bidvest Life, says the transition between years is a natural pause point, an opportunity to look back at what worked, what did not and what can be improved.

"Start with your budget. Pull up your 2025 bank statements or budget and ask the hard questions: Where did I overspend? Which habits helped me save and which did not? Did I spend on things I do not need?"

Once you assessed the year behind you, build your plan for the one ahead, she says.

"Create a January budget that includes fixed costs, essentials and a small buffer for nasty surprises," she says.

Top up your savings