Empty nesters... financial impact of kids leaving?

[Anonymous]

Eh. We’re just spending all their inheritance 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious how much your day to day expenses changed after your kids were fully launched. I know the college years are still expensive, but after that?

I'm trying to get a better sense of what my budget might look like in retirement. It feels impossible to disentangle the money I spend on my kids with the money that my husband and I would still spend when they leave.

Did everything go down across the board? Was it actually not a big change at all? Thanks for any insight!

Assume the house and costs of occupancy like utilities remain about the same. Most leave launched on cell phone family plans and depending on costs you might pick up a spouse. Cost of new phones? Your choice to have them purchase it 100% upfront or have a monthly cost added to the bill. For our adult dc's that has been a variable even for the same dc. If a vehicle isn't in your name you cannot have it on your car insurance policy so it's your choice to reimburse them or not. Judge what you're willing and able to pay for without compromising your health or finances.

We have a BIL in poor health where BIL isn't retiring due to mega $ monthly financial help to a launched DC + spouse for mortgage, car home-ins, co-pays, food, childcare, etc. We help a launched in a very honorable but low paying profession - far from frivolous stuff like the restaurant bills, manicures, pedicures, some extravagant trips, funded by the BIL who can't retire to support of another household.