Two Year-End Traditions That Shaped Our Life After FIRE
- Gin
- Dec 26, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 7
As the year comes to a close, I still find it hard to believe that we actually retired before turning 50 this year. When we were in our 30s, retirement at any age seemed like a pipe dream. Despite having low-paying jobs and no direction, we somehow still managed to cross the rat race finish line early.
With less than a week left in 2025, we’re now making preparations for two annual traditions to close out the old year and ring in the new one.
A few friends started copying us, so I thought I’d share these with you today.
ZERO SPENDING DURING THE FIRST FIVE DAYS OF THE YEAR
For the first five days of every new year, we abstain from spending any money at all. Not one penny.
This is a little different from some popular no-spend challenges, which only pause non-essential purchases. In our case, we pause 100% of spending. No buying food or gas—nothing. Not even automated payments for utilities or our mortgage happened during this period. Visits to the doctor and medicine are no-gos also.
The last week or so of the old year is preparation time. We buy enough groceries to get us through the first five days. Automated payments and any doctor’s appointments are rescheduled to January 6 or later. Any gifts for birthdays during that period are purchased early. It takes a lot of planning ahead to not spend any money.
And what happens if we spend money during those first five days? Well, reckless spending will haunt us the rest of the year—I told you superstition has a part in this.
THE JAPANESE ORIGINS OF OUR NO-SPEND TRADITION
In Japan, where my wife is from, New Year celebrations can last about a week; however, January 1-3, known as Sanganichi, are the most important days of the new year.
In addition to praying at the shrine or temple for good fortune, several other traditions are practiced during Sanganichi. One of these traditions is the eating of osechi, New Year dishes with symbolic meaning. Traditionally, these dishes are made in advance and meant to last the first few days of the year.
Preparing three days' worth of food is hard. But it also gives the chef—traditionally the wife—a much-deserved break during the New Year. Many businesses, such as stores, close during Sanganichi, which means preparation has to start early. It also means that less spending happens during that time.
As a child, my wife’s family wouldn’t spend any money during Sanganichi, with the belief that it could lead to more spending. Her family is the only one I know of that practices this and has this superstition.
I liked it when she first told me about it. So, we decided to adopt it for our home with a change in the number of days. Since Sanganichi lasts three days but New Year celebrations last seven, we took the average and chose to follow this for five days.
WHAT A NO-SPEND PRACTICE TEACHES US
Five days may not seem very long, but it’s incredibly difficult to get through without spending a cent. In all our years of doing this, we only succeed about half the time.
There have been years when one or both of us have gotten seriously ill and needed to see a doctor. Or maybe the car breaks down suddenly. Other times, we simply forget the date and slip up.
Despite how hard it is to prepare and succeed at this, I still love this tradition. For one, it reminds us how easy it is for spending to get out of control. I can’t count the number of times I cursed myself for accidentally spending money on something trivial, like coffee, on the fifth day. It’s like fumbling the football at the three-yard line.
The no-spend practice teaches us to be intentional with our spending. Spending money is OK, but it should be for things that truly enrich our lives.
And rescheduling automatic payments helps us remember all the subscriptions we have. It’s also a good time to check to see if any rates have unknowingly jumped.
The second reason I love this tradition is that it reminds us of where we both came from. We both came from low-income families, but our upbringing never felt poor. Our parents taught us that spending money isn’t a requirement to create an enriched life.
GOALS BINGO: FINDING PURPOSE IN LIFE AFTER FIRE
Retiring—early or otherwise—means losing more than just a steady paycheck. You lose your daily routine and sense of purpose.
In preparation for our early retirement, at the beginning of the year, we each wrote a set of 25 things we wanted to accomplish by year’s end.
This wasn’t a list of New Year's resolutions. Those suck, are boring, and never work.
This was Goals Bingo, a new tradition we started this year, but intend to keep.
OUR GOALS BINGO RULES
A goal must be meaningful. It can either give a sense of purpose, such as “Install new toilet,” or it can make life more fulfilling, such as “See 4 new shows.”
Each goal must have a measurable. For example, “Get more exercise” would be too vague, but “Jog 120 times” is specific.
Randomly place each goal into the spaces on a Bingo card, but the goal for the Free Space in the center can be chosen.
Decide on prizes for getting Bingo. Give better prizes for harder Bingos, like blackout Bingo.
Place the cards somewhere visible, and complete your Bingos!
WHY GOALS BINGO WORKS FOR US
Creating goals, whether for work-related or personal reasons, isn’t exactly fun. But who doesn’t love Bingo?
Gamifying our goals injected a lot of fun. It gave us a reason to hit our goals. Completing goals started to become secondary to simply getting a Bingo to win a prize. It gave us purpose in life after FIRE without it feeling like work.
As of this writing, I’ve completed 18 out of 25 goals on my card and have two Bingos. I doubt I would’ve completed as many goals if it weren’t for the Bingo format.
And structuring some of my goals around enriching our lives made our first year in early retirement that much more enjoyable. Switching from a saving mentality to a spending mentality has been one of the hardest transitions. Goals Bingo forced us to take trips, eat at new restaurants, and see new attractions.
Later on December 31, I look forward to reviewing our Bingo results with my wife as we look back on everything we accomplished this year. The cards will help jog our memories.
CREATE YOUR OWN GOALS BINGO CARD
Currently, we’re working on our 2026 Bingo cards. So far, I have a good mix of goals. Some are things I simply need to do, like harvesting capital gains. Others are just for fun, like taking a roadtrip with our dogs.
I highly recommend giving Goals Bingo a try. Feel free to download this simple Bingo card template I created to get started.
It’s really helpful for things you’ve been putting off for a long time. I had put off installing our new toilet for over six months until I turned it into a Bingo goal.
And if you have a goal that seems too big, break it up into smaller goals—one for each step. It’s OK to make slow progress as long as you’re moving forward. And remember, Bingo is meant to be fun, so make it enjoyable.
May your 2026 be filled with health, wealth, and happiness.
See you at the finish line!
Disclaimer: I’m not a licensed financial professional. This blog shares my personal experiences and opinions around money, investing, and early retirement. It’s for informational and educational purposes only—not financial, legal, or tax advice. Always do your own research or consult with a qualified professional before making any financial decisions.
Comments