How much annual budget do you need to feel comfortable in retirement?

[Anonymous]

We are aiming for $20k/month or $240k/year. So, $8M at the 3% rule. We could definitely be happy with less but that's the goal.

We are planning to own one home (roughly $1.5m value in today's money) travel extensively and spend a lot of time with kids and grandchildren. No country clubs or second homes, aren't into designer products. Nice cars replaced every 7-8 years but not range rovers or anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are aiming for $20k/month or $240k/year. So, $8M at the 3% rule. We could definitely be happy with less but that's the goal.

We are planning to own one home (roughly $1.5m value in today's money) travel extensively and spend a lot of time with kids and grandchildren. No country clubs or second homes, aren't into designer products. Nice cars replaced every 7-8 years but not range rovers or anything.

We’ve been retired for ten years (wife was always a SAHM) and this is exactly what we live on. Our net worth is closer to $9M (before today’s crash ha ha) and has doubled since we retired (early, when I was 53).

Remember that you’ll be getting social security so you’re not going to need $8M necessarily to hit your number. We elected to take SS early and collect a combined 45k a year. We also have a basement rental in our DC home that brings in another 30k. So we’ve been able to live on $240k a year while our net worth continues to grow.

We have found it very easy and comfortable on this amount. We have a nice home in the city and a large second home maybe 90 minutes away. We have house cleaners and yard help, we travel abroad frequently, spoil the kids and grandkids, eat out whenever and whatever (always footing the bill), and basically don’t want for anything or really even have to think about money. It’s amazing how much more money you have when you’re no longer saving for retirement or spending on kids.

I wouldn’t say we live extravagantly, of course—we certainly don’t spend foolishly—but living on what we have has proven over ten years to be very easy. Maybe it helps that we were never the country club type when we were making money. You don’t miss what you never had—or wanted.

[Anonymous]

We are planning for $200K. It's about half of our current annual income ... but we currently put a lot of that income into retirement accounts, college tuition (well be done by the time we retire) and mortgage (will be paid off next year). So we're expecting to live on a lot less in retirement. May downsize the house and travel more.

[Anonymous]

I need much less than I did pre-retirement.

It’s weird.

[Anonymous]

Will have residence, beach house, and college for two kids paid off by the time we retire in six years. At that point I think we can get by on 50-60k a year with splurges here and there for travel. I sort of want to continue doing part time work to bring in a bit more that I can sock away to help our kids with downpayments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are aiming for $20k/month or $240k/year. So, $8M at the 3% rule. We could definitely be happy with less but that's the goal.

We are planning to own one home (roughly $1.5m value in today's money) travel extensively and spend a lot of time with kids and grandchildren. No country clubs or second homes, aren't into designer products. Nice cars replaced every 7-8 years but not range rovers or anything.

We’ve been retired for ten years (wife was always a SAHM) and this is exactly what we live on. Our net worth is closer to $9M (before today’s crash ha ha) and has doubled since we retired (early, when I was 53).

Remember that you’ll be getting social security so you’re not going to need $8M necessarily to hit your number. We elected to take SS early and collect a combined 45k a year. We also have a basement rental in our DC home that brings in another 30k. So we’ve been able to live on $240k a year while our net worth continues to grow.

We have found it very easy and comfortable on this amount. We have a nice home in the city and a large second home maybe 90 minutes away. We have house cleaners and yard help, we travel abroad frequently, spoil the kids and grandkids, eat out whenever and whatever (always footing the bill), and basically don’t want for anything or really even have to think about money. It’s amazing how much more money you have when you’re no longer saving for retirement or spending on kids.

I wouldn’t say we live extravagantly, of course—we certainly don’t spend foolishly—but living on what we have has proven over ten years to be very easy. Maybe it helps that we were never the country club type when we were making money. You don’t miss what you never had—or wanted.

We are planning on $250k/year in today’s money. That should allow for maintaining two (c. $1 million) homes, frequent travel (flying business, but otherwise comfortable rather than luxurious), and some treats for kids. We have cleaning, pool service, lawn service, but otherwise drive crappy old cars, don’t eat out at super high end places etc.

Most of the $200k will be covered by pension, so we only have about $2million in investments. If we need long term care we will sell one (perhaps eventually both) of the houses. We live in NW Dc, second home also 90 minutes away.

[Anonymous]

For us, it’s about $500k, so we are shooting for ~$12m.

[Anonymous]

Just me and I’m targeting $150k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our goal is 360k/yr after taxes in today's dollars because that covers assisted living for two people. We probably won't get there, and that is ok because most people do not need assisted living for all 30 years of a retirement.

People usually only need it for a couple of years

[Anonymous]

I am thinking 240k but it’s a guess. Our mortgage is $4000/month. We will have 100k in pensions. So will need 140k more. We currently have 5 million invested and are in our early 50s.

[Anonymous]

How about more actial numbers, and less fantasy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone's lifestyle and expectations are different. What's your annual amount to feel you are living a comfortable retirement that would you enjoy, that wouldn't stress you out, but is also realistic (so can't say $5 mil a month). Please add where you live (to give a sense of cost of living) and what you plan to do in retirement.

DH and I retired together 4 months ago. Our budget comes to $14K/month or $168K/year for everything we need & want. Four kids are grown and flown, house is paid off, and we live in Bowie. So far in retirement we've worked on home renovations & decor, spent time with our elderly moms, biked a lot, and traveled.

[Anonymous]

PP here - those numbers are post-tax.

[Anonymous]

We're planning to take $250k annually from our $6M starting next year when our youngest goes to college. I will be keeping my WAH job for the insurance and some additional cashflow. We plan to hit the road within north and south America and come back to hang with kids during school breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need at least $400k to cover costs which include membership at two clubs with hefty annual dues and minimum spend, property taxes, house upkeep, and elder care assistance for once set of parents, so that works out to roughly $10m in investible assets. It's nuts. If I were single, I could live on significantly less.

Mine is similar to this PP. If with DH, probably $350k-400k a year. Without him, $150k a year

I just went through figuring out the budget and our spend will be $300 a year plus taxes. We just had a cash flow analysis done and I am feeling better about it, but one interesting part of the analysis was showing maximum spend, which would be $500K a year in today's dollars. That means if I start spending that amount now and continue that every year (with added inflation), we will run out of money by the end of life. If we stay on course at our planned spending, we will die with almost double what we have in assets now.