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Some years, you make big, life-changing financial moves. You start a business, buy a house, finally max out your retirement contributions.

Last year was not that year for me.

Instead, the financial moves I made were small, practical decisions — some planned, some completely unintentional — that ended up making my financial life noticeably better.

I didn't go into 2024 with a checklist of goals. I wasn't following a perfectly curated financial plan. These were just things I did throughout the year, sometimes on impulse, sometimes out of necessity, that — looking back — I'd absolutely do again.

And that's the thing about personal finance. It doesn't have to be extreme to be effective. Sometimes, the best money decisions aren't the ones that feel huge in the moment, but the ones that quietly protect your savings, simplify your life, or help you avoid dumb mistakes.

So, here's a look at five money moves I made last year — some big, some small, some that barely felt like decisions at all — but that I'd happily repeat in 2025.

1) Hiring a Money Manager (Because Knowing What to Do Is Only Half the Battle)

For years, I thought hiring a money manager was something you did when you had millions of dollars and a financial life so complex that managing it yourself wasn't an option. My husband and I know how to invest. We understand the economy. We're not clueless about money. So why would we pay someone to do what we're perfectly capable of handling?

Turns out, there's a lot more to managing wealth than knowing what to do.

What finally pushed us to hire someone was the realization that, despite our knowledge, we weren't actually doing everything we needed to be doing. Case in point: We had old 401(k)s that had been sitting, untouched, for years. We knew we needed to roll them over, but life kept getting in the way. And that's when it clicked: A money manager's job is to make sure your long-term goals don't get lost in the day-to-day.

Since hiring one, the benefits have been bigger than I expected:

We're actually following through on things we knew we should be doing but weren't. We have access to better investment opportunities that wouldn't be available to us individually. Our entire financial picture is being optimized, from tax efficiencies to long-term planning strategies we hadn't even considered.

With a money manager on our team, we have a built-in accountability system. Left to our own devices, we'd likely push off financial tasks in favor of more immediate concerns (like getting our kids to bed on time). Now, we don't have to think about it — it just gets done.

Looking back, this was easily one of the best financial moves we made all year. Having an expert at the helm of our long-term financial security? That's a weight I didn't realize I needed off my shoulders.

2) Moving Our Savings to a High-Yield Account (Why Did I Wait So Long?)

This was, without a doubt, the easiest financial win of the year. And yet, for years, I didn't do it.

For the longest time, our savings sat in a standard bank account earning next to nothing in interest. I knew high-yield savings accounts existed. I knew they were offering 4%-5% APY (sometimes even more!) instead of the laughable fraction of a percent my bank was paying. But for some reason, I never got around to making the switch.

What finally pushed me over the edge? I actually ran the numbers.

Seeing how much money we were missing out on every year by keeping our savings in a low-rate account made the decision embarrassingly obvious. Within minutes, I opened an account at a local Texas bank offering a competitive APY and moved our savings over. It was painless. And now we're earning hundreds of dollars more in interest every year — for doing literally nothing.

The best part? Unlike a long-term investment or CD, the money in a high-yield savings account stays completely liquid — so we're still able to access our funds whenever we need to. But now that money is actually working for us instead of just sitting there.

If I could go back, I would have done this years ago. But at the very least, I can't make the mistake of ignoring it again. If you haven't made this move yet, trust me — your future self will thank you.

3) Separating Our Big Savings from Our Checking (A Win by Inconvenience)

Most people think about earning more or spending less when trying to improve their finances. But one of the best things I did last year had nothing to do with either — it was simply making my savings slightly harder to access.

Before, our savings account was linked to our checking account at the same bank. Which meant if we needed money (or thought we needed money), it was one quick transfer away. That made it way too easy to dip into our savings for things that we didn't actually need.

So, I moved our savings to a separate bank. Same money, same purpose — just no easy, instant access.

The first time this change paid off? Christmas lights.

At the end of the year, I got a quote for having lights put up on our house, and it was way higher than I expected. I was disappointed but immediately considered pulling from our buffer savings — just this once! — and promising myself I'd replace it later.

Then I remembered: transferring the money would take a couple of days.

And something about that tiny delay made me stop and think. Did I really need to spend $2,000 on Christmas lights? Was it really worth dipping into savings for? The answer was obvious — no. So instead, I made a plan to set aside money throughout the year so we could do it next holiday season.

The takeaway? A little friction can be a good thing. It's not about making money inaccessible — it's about creating a built-in pause button before making financial decisions you might regret. And that one small change? It's already paid off.

4) Downloading the Debbie App (A Finance Tool That Wasn't Trying to Sell Me Something)

I downloaded the Debbie app for one reason: to vet it for my nanny, Eve, who (very wisely) doesn't trust anything that asks for her banking information.

I didn't expect to love it.

But after using it for a month, I realized this app was doing something different. In a world where most personal finance tools exist to push credit cards, upsell investment services, or sell you on some "exclusive" premium plan, Debbie just... helped me build better financial habits.

What stood out?

- It actually rewards you for smart money decisions— not with useless points or gift cards, but with real cash you can deposit into your bank account.

- It's built on behavioral psychology, reinforcing healthy financial habits in a way that's easy and engaging.

- There's no hidden agenda. No predatory offers, no "you should take out a loan" suggestions — just solid financial guidance.

And just to be clear — I have no affiliation with Debbie. I'm not being paid to mention it, I don't get a referral bonus, and they probably don't even know I exist. I just genuinely think it's a great tool for anyone looking to build better money habits and maybe earn a little extra cash along the way. (So far, I'm up $35, which, hey, is more than I've earned from most "rewards" programs.)

The only downsides? The design is pretty basic, and account balances sometimes take a day to refresh. But for a free app that actually pays you for making good financial choices? I'll take it.

5) Closing My Old College Bank Account (Good Riddance!)

Some financial decisions are exciting. This was not one of them.

For more than a decade, I've had this really old bank account that I wasn't using, didn't need, and yet — for some reason — never got around to closing. The account had a terrible interest rate, the bank offered me no real perks, and the absolute worst part? A $12 monthly fee that I had to manually cover every few months just to keep the account from overdrafting.

Why didn't I close it sooner? Bureaucratic red tape. Since I opened it before I turned 18 (with my parents' help), my parents had to be there to close it, and coordinating that was never a priority. So I did what most people do with annoying financial loose ends. I ignored it.

Until last year, when the stars finally aligned, andI shut it down for good.

The feeling? Immediate relief. No more wasted fees, no more unnecessary account to manage, no more mental clutter. I had worried at one point that closing it would ding my credit score since it was my oldest account, but since it wasn't a credit account, it had zero impact.

Lesson learned? If you have a lingering financial to-do item that's draining money or just sitting there taking up space — just take care of it. You have better things to worry about.

The Power of Small, Smart Money Moves

Looking back, none of these were massive, life-altering financial decisions. Most of them aren't even frequent personal finance topics! I didn't start a business, buy a house, or suddenly double my income. But every one of these moves made my financial life easier, more efficient, or just plain better — and that adds up.

The biggest lesson? Personal finance doesn't have to be extreme to be effective.

Sometimes, the best money decisions aren't the ones that feel like big milestones, but the ones that quietly set you up for success — whether that's getting your savings into a better account, putting some intentional friction between you and impulse spending, or finally crossing off that financial task that's been haunting you for years.

Maybe some of these moves could help you too. Or maybe you have your own version — something you've been putting off, or a small tweak that could make your financial life smoother. Whatever it is, consider this your sign to take action.

It doesn't have to be a grand, ambitious overhaul. It can be as simple as moving your money to a better place, automating a smart habit, or making sure you have one less thing to worry about in the future.

Whatever it is, just do it. Because trust me — when you look back a year from now, you'll be glad you did.