Your guide to crushing your finances in 2025

Picture this: It’s 2025, and you’re the chill guy in the meme—leaned back, sipping coffee, and effortlessly enjoying life. Bills? Paid. Investments? Growing. Stress? Nonexistent.

For many people, planning finances in 2024 has been quite the challenge. Making ends meet, saving for the future, and still enjoying life? It can feel like a daunting task. But here’s the truth—financial freedom isn’t about earning millions; it’s about smart planning and balance. The goal of this blog is simple: to help you become the ultimate chill guy or girl in 2025 when it comes to your finances.

How did you get here? By taking control with a plan so smooth, it feels like coasting on a sunny day at Thermëa. This ultimate guide will show you how to make 2025 your most chill financial year yet.

The Power of the Side Hustle

A side hustle isn’t just about earning extra cash—it’s about unlocking your potential and monetizing what you already enjoy or excel at. Discovering your talents starts with self-reflection: What skills do people frequently compliment you on? What activities make you lose track of time? Once you identify these, brainstorm how they can solve a problem or provide value. For instance, one gamer turned their passion for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II into a profitable venture by creating a comprehensive game guide. Their walkthrough detailed mission strategies, enemy takedown tips, and ways to leverage in-game environments to succeed. By sharing expertise in a clear, engaging format, they not only helped fellow players but also generated income through guide sales and ad revenue. Whether it’s writing guides, teaching a skill, or offering services, your side hustle can be a rewarding way to grow your income while doing what you love.

The Fine Line Between Spending and Saving

Striking the right balance between spending and saving is crucial for financial well-being. It’s a delicate dance, much like the classic fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant, diligent and forward-thinking, spends its summer storing food for the winter. Meanwhile, the grasshopper, carefree and indulgent, spends its time singing and playing, only to face hardship when resources run dry.

In financial terms, being too much like the ant—hoarding every penny—can make you miss out on life’s joys. On the other hand, living entirely like the grasshopper can leave you unprepared for life’s inevitable “winters.” The key is to find harmony: save responsibly while allocating some of your resources to enjoy the present. A good rule of thumb is the 50/30/20 budgeting principle: 50% for essentials, 30% for discretionary spending, and 20% for savings and investments.

By adopting this balanced approach, you can ensure you’re prepared for the future without sacrificing the pleasures of today. After all, the wisest financial plans let you live both responsibly and enjoyably.

The Importance of Budgeting and Automation

Think of your finances like managing a busy kitchen. You’ve got multiple ingredients (expenses), a recipe (budget), and a limited amount of time (your monthly income). If you’re constantly scrambling to find what you need and throwing things together without a plan, the result will be a chaotic mess—just like cooking without a recipe. But when you have a clear budget, it’s like following a recipe that tells you exactly how much of each ingredient to use, ensuring everything comes together perfectly.

Now, automation is like having a sous-chef who preps and organizes everything in advance. Imagine you’ve set up automatic transfers to your savings and investments. You don’t have to think about it—just like your sous-chef preps the veggies while you focus on the main dish. Automation removes the stress of manual tracking, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture without worrying about every little detail.

By combining budgeting and automation, you’ll be able to cook up a smooth, well-balanced financial life, where every dollar has a purpose and every goal is within reach.

Channeling Your Inner Chill Guy and Elevating Your Finances

At the end of the day, elevating your finances is about more than just numbers—it’s about creating a sense of peace and control over your financial future. Channeling your inner chill guy means being proactive, setting clear goals, and trusting the systems you've put in place. When you budget wisely, automate your savings, and make intentional choices, you'll start to feel like you're effortlessly cruising through life—just like the chillest version of yourself. So, embrace the journey, keep it simple, and remember that with a little planning, your finances can work for you, not the other way around. The calm and confidence of financial freedom is within your reach—let 2025 be the year you make it your reality.

Kondwelani Kalinda – Associate Investment Advisor

This information has been prepared by Kondwelani Kalinda, an Associate Investment Advisor at iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization.

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