If I could summarize my year in a nutshell, I’d say it was the “in-person year”, and by extension, the “offline year”.
And it was exactly what I needed after the pandemic, professional challenges and the passing of my beloved Father; all happening in a 4-year span.
This year, I purposely chose to be offline, hence the few posts on my blog.
Work
This year turned out to be lucrative as well. I received a good raise, which helped immensely, as this year was very spendy.
I’ve been in my current role for 2.5 years now…however I’ve been on the fence with this job for a while now. I won’t elaborate further. I’ll see what 2026 brings.
Play
I worked hard this year, but I also played hard.
I thought last year was my “revenge travel” year, but this year definitely was. I took my annual trip to France in May. My mum celebrated a milestone birthday so we both decided to travel to Scandinavia. We went to Norway, Sweden, Finland and took a day-trip to Tallin, Estonia while in Finland.
We loved every minute of it with the highlights being Norway and Tallin for both of us. We also spent a few days in Paris before heading back to our respective homes.
In September, I spent a week in New Orleans and had a ball there. I don’t think there is another city in the US quite like New Orleans. A fascinating mix of culture, history, architecture, nature, food and parties all in one.
I wanted to travel more in the Fall, but…
I Got a Dog!
I had been thinking about having a dog for many years, long before the pandemic.
However, I waited a long time, as I wanted to be sure of my decision. A pet is a huge commitment, even more so if it’s a puppy, which is what I ended-up getting.
My dog is a mini poodle. Her name is Luna. I got her a couple of months ago, and I already can’t imagine not having her.
She is sweet and I always say we chose each other. We’re a good match.
Dating
I also resumed dating over the Summer. I signed-up on a few dating sites and went on a few dates. Nothing stuck but I found it encouraging. I can’t say that I had any unpleasant dates.
I’ll resume next year once I am a bit more settled with my dog. Caring for a puppy is both time consuming and exhausting.
The Blog
As I was busy offline, I only wrote a few posts this year.
After 11 years of blogging, I find it hard to stay motivated, or to stick to a blogging schedule.
I haven’t been the most inspired either lately. I do have some ideas and start to write, but then I’m not happy with the result.
I don’t know what I am going to do going forward.
Money
As mentioned above, this year was both lucrative and spendy. Definitely too much of the latter. I spent a lot of money on vacations and my dog. My car also needed a bunch of costly repairs -still cheaper than buying a car, whether pre-owned or new-.
That said, I also spent a lot of money on “stuff”. Things that I don’t remember buying or why I bought them. Things that I never used and ended-up donating or throwing away. Others were non-refundable. Talk about a waste of money!
Next year, I want to challenge myself to a year of less, when it comes to spending and purchasing. More on that later.
That said, I also saved about $23K this year, not bad at all given my spending and for a single gal owning in Vancouver.
The only debt I have is my mortgage.
Final Word
Overall 2025 was a good year and will end on a good note as well.
I don’t know what 2026 will bring, but I’m ready for it.
Hopefully, I’ll also be more inspired and write more.
Happy Holydays!
The Money Savvy Blog 