$10k savings isn’t delulu

2026 doesn’t start from zero. It inherits the decisions, costs, and systems already in motion.

This issue looks at the money mechanics that don’t reset on January 1 (like saving targets, benefit rules, housing debt, and tax shifts) so you’re planning for the year you’re actually entering, not the one people like to imagine.

Here’s what’s inside:

• What saving $10,000 in 2026 actually requires

• Money you didn’t realize you were losing to FSAs

• The long-term debt behind “normal” milestones

• A subtle tax change that may boost take-home pay

P.S. Want to fix your 2026 finances? Newsletter readers get $100 off our money coaching plans ‘til the end of January 2026. Just mention this email and book a free 1-hour call here.

What saving $10,000 in 2026 actually looks like

Saving $10,000 in six months sounds motivating… until you try to fit it into an actual budget.

That goal requires saving about $1,670 a month, or roughly $385 per week. For most households, that doesn’t come from “cutting back a little”. It requires deliberate tradeoffs or new income.

Most saving advice skips this part. It assumes expenses are flexible, motivation stays high, and nothing unexpected happens. In reality, people are juggling rent, groceries, insurance, travel, family obligations, and rising costs (most times, even all at once).

What actually separates people who hit goals like this isn’t discipline. It’s structural decisions: knowing their real monthly margin, being honest about what can’t be cut, and deciding whether the gap gets filled by expense changes, income increases, or time.

In other words, this isn’t a willpower problem. It’s a planning problem.

Here’s how you can actually do it:

👉 Save on payday, not month-end. If the money waits until the end of the month, it usually gets claimed by something else first.

👉 Stability beats intensity. Saving $300–$400 consistently every month works better than aggressive plans that collapse the first time life happens.

👉 Build around fixed costs. If housing, insurance, and debt payments already eat most of your income, the plan has to account for that (not pretend those bills are optional).

The money you didn’t know you were losing

Every year, Americans leave over $4 billion in flexible spending accounts and most people don’t even realize it’s happening.

About half of people with an FSA let money expire, with the average forfeiture clocking in at $400+ per person. That money doesn’t roll forward, and it doesn’t come back to you. It goes straight back to employers, often to offset plan admin costs.

FSAs work differently from most accounts: you choose a number once, upfront, and if your estimate is even slightly off, the penalty is real. Unlike HSAs, unused balances don’t automatically roll over unless your employer allows a grace period or a limited rollover (currently capped at $660). Many people assume this flexibility exists when it doesn’t.

The result? A last-minute December scramble (or worse: silent forfeiture).

What makes FSAs especially tricky is that they feel conservative, but they’re actually a bet: you’re guessing how much healthcare spending you’ll have over the next year, then locking that guess in.

What to do now:

👉 Check your plan rules before panic-spending. About two-thirds of employers offer either a grace period or partial rollover. Double-check and confirm if this is the case for you.

👉 Spend intentionally, not randomly. Eligible expenses go well beyond doctor visits. Many everyday items qualify, but eligibility depends on your specific plan.

👉 Remember the tax math. FSAs avoid federal income tax, payroll tax, and often state tax. For someone in the 22% bracket, a $1,500 contribution can save close to $500 in taxes (meaning you’d have to forfeit more than that to truly lose).

How to think about FSAs going forward:

One underappreciated feature: your entire annual FSA balance is available on day one, even though contributions come out of each paycheck over time. That’s effectively an interest-free advance on your own income.

It also means the safest strategy isn’t maxing it out. It’s contributing slightly less than you expect to spend. Leaving a buffer reduces year-end stress without giving up the tax benefit.

In 2026, workers can contribute up to $3,400. The goal isn’t to hit the max. It’s to pick a number that matches how FSAs actually work (not how we wish they did).

The American Dream’s price tag

The version of the American Dream most people grow up with quietly runs on debt.

A recent analysis estimates that the average American will pay roughly $1.8 million in debt over their lifetime. Not because of reckless spending, but because mortgages, car loans, student loans, and credit cards stretch across decades of adult life.

Most of that cost is concentrated in a few decisions. Debt spikes in the late 30s with a first home purchase, then again around retirement age when many people buy a second home.

This reframes a lot of money anxiety. Feeling behind is often less about daily spending and more about the long-term commitments we normalize without fully seeing the math.

The takeaway isn’t to reject the American Dream. It’s to understand the math behind it.

Pursuing the American dream:

🏠 Housing does the heavy lifting. Expect ~60% of lifetime debt to come from mortgages alone (roughly $1.1M over a lifetime for the average American). One or two housing decisions will matter more than almost anything else.

🚗 Cars quietly add up. Auto loans account for about $245K over a lifetime, spread across multiple vehicles. Not catastrophic on their own, but meaningful when stacked over decades.

💳 Credit cards aren’t small. Even without extreme balances, credit card debt totals nearly $390K over 60 years. Carrying balances during middle age is where this number balloons.

🎓 Student loans are smaller, but early. Student debt averages around $35–40K, but it hits early in adulthood, right when cash flow is tight and saving momentum matters most.

📍 Geography is a seven-figure variable. Where you live can change lifetime debt by $1M+. Housing costs (not spending habits) explain most of the gap.tion is a reminder to plan realistically (not aggressively) for the year ahead.

A subtle shift in 2026 taxes

The IRS released the 2026 tax brackets, and they’ve been adjusted for inflation. That means a slightly larger portion of your income will be taxed at lower rates, even if your salary doesn’t change.

For many people, this shows up as a small bump in take-home pay once payroll updates in January 👇

 Worth the Click This Week

💳 Holiday spending pushed credit card debt higher. End-of-year shopping didn’t just raise balances. This breaks down where debt is sticking, who’s most affected, and why paydown is taking longer heading into 2026. See the debt breakdown »

🏷️ Store loyalty programs aren’t always saving you money. Discounts feel helpful, but the data behind them matters. This explains how personal data can influence pricing and what consumers can do to protect themselves. Learn how pricing gets personalized »

📊 Why affordability suddenly feels like everything. If money feels tighter despite steady income, these charts show why. A clear look at how housing, food, and everyday costs have shifted at the same time. View the charts »

🏠 Where mortgage rates may land over the next five years. Not a forecast, just context. This outlines possible rate paths and what they could mean for buyers, owners, and refinancers. See the rate outlook »