Lynda Moore explains why June can be one of the most useful times of the year to pause and reset financially

I don’t know about you, but I am looking at the calendar wondering where the year has gone, and apart from the fact, I’ve got the winter jersey’s on, not quite believing we are halfway through June already! Roll on Summer!

By the time we reach the middle of year, we might also be feeling a bit frustrated about our money.

At the start of the year, the intentions were good. Save more. Get ahead. Stop spending on things that do not really matter. Finally sort out the KiwiSaver contributions, the insurance review, or the emergency fund.

Then life happened.  Unexpected bills showed up. Work changed. Energy costs climbed. Someone got sick. A few weekends away turned into more spending than planned.

On top of that world affairs impacted our wallet as well. For many households, the first half of the year simply became about getting through.

That does not mean the year is ruined, although it might feel that way right now.

One of the biggest mistakes we make financially is treating January as the only valid starting point. If things have drifted by June, we can assume we’ve somehow failed and we may as well wait until next year to reset properly. But when we do that, we quietly lose another six months.

A mid-year financial check-in is not supposed to be about guilt or punishment. It is simply about getting honest about where things are sitting now and making small adjustments before the year disappears completely.  I’m going through my mid-year review and shaking my head about how some things have changed, much of it outside of my control. It’s hard not to judge myself for failing to stick to the plan.  Yes, there are areas where I can see a bit of spending creep that I know I can trim back in the next six months.  But we had no idea in January that fuel prices were going to shoot up, and the flow on effect that would have to other areas, so there’s no point beating myself up about that.

Most people are not struggling financially because they are lazy or irresponsible. More often, their money has been competing with real-life pressures. The difference between what we planned in January and what happened by June is usually far more complicated than a lack of discipline.

The important thing is being willing to look. In reality, most of us avoid checking our finances properly until the end of the year because we’re worried about what we might find. But the earlier you review things, the more time you still have to improve them. Small changes now, add up to larger ones over time.  My mentor David Krueger uses the analogy of eating two extra French fries a day (a mere 35 calories) results in an extra 40lbs (around 18kg) in ten years’ time if they go unnoticed and unchecked.  It’s the same with our money.

A mid-year reset does not need to be complicated.

Start by looking at what you have spent over the past few months, not what you intended to spend. Bank account transactions tend to reveal financial habits far more honestly than budgets do. We will have a good feel for where we think the money has gone, knowing with more accuracy where money has quietly disappeared to will become apparent once we are willing to look closely enough.

It is also worth checking how much of your income has stayed with you this year. Even a rough savings percentage can tell you a lot. If the number feels disappointing, the better question is not “why am I bad with money?” but “what was that money being used for, and was it supporting the life I needed at the time?” If you can add a bit more to savings, that’s great, if you can’t due to a change in circumstances, acknowledge it, that’s fine too.

This is also a good point in the year to revisit financial goals altogether.

Some of the goals set in January may no longer fit our current reality, and that is completely normal. Priorities change. Circumstances change. Financial plans should be flexible enough to change too.

What matters now is deciding what still feels important for the second half of the year.

That might mean rebuilding savings after a difficult start to the year. Or it may be reducing debt, reviewing expenses, or increasing KiwiSaver contributions before another year passes.

The key is choosing one concrete action rather than overwhelming yourself with a complete financial overhaul. Small changes made consistently over six months can create meaningful results. The second half of the year is still enough time to improve cashflow, build better habits, reduce financial stress, or make progress on long-term goals.

Winter often becomes a pressure point financially because spending naturally shifts during colder months. Power bills rise, people stay home more, comfort spending increases, and unexpected health costs can creep in quietly. Without paying attention, temporary winter spending habits can easily become permanent ones.

That is why June can be one of the most useful times of the year to pause and reset financially.

You do not need a perfect first half of the year to create a stronger second half. You simply need to stop waiting for a perfect moment to begin again.

And June is as good a place as any to start.

*Lynda Moore is a Money Mentalist coach and New Zealand’s only certified New Money Story® mentor. Lynda helps you understand why you do the things you do with your money, when we all know we should spend less than we earn. You can contact her here.