Not Doing It

This is the time of year when financial writers dish out advice for the year ahead. But who wants another to-do list? Here are five things I won’t be doing in 2025:

Flying economy on international flights. Our 2024 trip to Ireland finally broke me. Sitting upright on an overnight transatlantic flight is just too much for my ailing body. I can manage economy on a daytime flight, but now find it pure misery when flying overnight. If I’m traveling to Europe, I need to be horizontal. My apologies to my bank balance.

Saving money. My two biggest “expenditures” in 2025 will be travel and financial gifts to my kids and grandkids. That’ll eat up much of what I earn. Other than funding my health savings account—too good a deal to pass up—I won’t be saving any money in the year ahead.

Rebalancing my portfolio. My portfolio’s allocation to stocks has climbed higher along with the market. It’s now over 90%, and I have no intention of cutting back. After more than two years of healthy stock market gains, that might not be the most sensible short-term asset allocation, though—as always—I have no clue where share prices are headed next.

So, why the hefty stock allocation? I’m no longer investing for myself. Instead, I’m thinking about my heirs, meaning Elaine and my two kids. My time horizon is short, but theirs is long—and an aggressive stock allocation makes sense for them.

Buying new possessions. While I can see buying things for others or that I might share with Elaine, I can’t imagine purchasing any possessions solely for myself unless I desperately need them. Most possessions are designed to have lasting value and, given my diagnosis, I can’t see the sense in buying anything that fits that description.

Embracing upheaval. I consider myself a master of delayed gratification, long willing to sacrifice now for a better future. That, however, is seeming increasingly less sensible.

In 2023, we remodeled the kitchen, and we’re now wrapping up a remodeling of the upstairs bathroom. I was happy to deal with the disruption and hassle involved with both projects. But for whatever time I have left, I’d like greater control over my days. My afternoon naps are a whole lot more restful when someone isn’t drilling in the next room.