Do Retirees Need a Budget?
by Maurie Backman | Sept. 22, 2019
The Ascent is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from offers on this page. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation.
Budgeting isn't just for working folks; retirees need to do it as well.
Following a budget is one of the best ways to track your spending and ensure that you're not putting yourself at risk of racking up excessive debt. That's why all working folks should have a budget that's easy to follow and realistic. But what if you're retired? Do you still need a budget?
You absolutely do. In fact, having a budget could be more important once you're no longer working.
Why retirees need to budget
Most people move over to a fixed income when they retire. That income could be a combination of Social Security benefits, retirement plan withdrawals, or pension payments if you're eligible to collect them. You might even have some cash sitting in a savings account that you can withdraw as needed.
Image source: Getty Images
To clarify, a fixed income isn't always absolutely fixed. Let's say there's a certain amount you can safely withdraw from your IRA or 401(k) each month without running the risk of depleting your savings.
If your investments do well, you may be able to start withdrawing a larger monthly amount without hurting yourself on a long-term basis. Similarly, you might choose to work for a few months here and there during retirement to generate extra cash.
So your income during retirement may not be totally fixed. Rather, it's probably fixed to some degree. But if you get the bulk of your income from Social Security, you're mostly talking about a fixed amount of money.
That's why you need a budget during retirement. Without one, you risk falling behind on your expenses and taking on debt later in life. And that's dangerous.
Setting up your retirement budget
If you've never followed a budget before, you may be wondering how to set one up. The good news is that budgeting is easy. All you do is list your recurring monthly expenses, factor in once-a-year expenses (perhaps an AARP membership or something similar), and compare your total living costs to the amount of money you have access to.
If your monthly income is enough to sustain your current level of spending, you're in pretty good shape. Ideally, you should have a little wiggle room in case unplanned expenses pop up. But if you find that you're spending too much, you may need to rethink some expenses.
The easiest ones to target are housing and transportation since they're likely to eat up a large chunk of your income. Downsizing to a smaller home could save you a substantial amount of money on rent -- or property taxes, insurance, and upkeep if you own a home. Similarly, if you have easy access to public transportation where you live, selling a car could free up hundreds of dollars a month on auto insurance and maintenance.
Cutting back on smaller expenses can help, too. That might mean downgrading your cable plan or cutting back on restaurant meals (even those early-bird specials cost more than home-cooked food). The key is to know where your money is going month after month and to not overspend.
Budgeting is just as important for retirees as it is for working folks -- if not more so. Take some time to set up your budget and stick to it. In doing so, you'll avoid the financial stress many other seniors face.
And if you're not sure how to create a budget, be sure to check out our full guide to budgeting.
These savings accounts are FDIC insured and can earn you 12x your bank
Many people are missing out on guaranteed returns as their money languishes in a big bank savings account earning next to no interest. Our picks of the best online savings accounts can earn you more than 12x the national average savings account rate. Click here to uncover the best-in-class picks that landed a spot on our shortlist of the best savings accounts for 2021.
Two top online savings account picks
About the Author
Maurie Backman is a personal finance writer who covers everything from savings to retirement to healthcare. Her articles have appeared broadly on major outlets such as CNBC, MSN, and Yahoo.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from Bank CD rates editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
