Strategic Expense Cutting in Retirement
Summary:
Reducing monthly expenses in retirement can significantly alleviate financial stress without requiring drastic budget cuts. Small changes, such as optimizing phone plans, bundling insurance, and automating energy savings, can yield substantial savings. This approach allows retirees to maintain their quality of life while freeing up funds for investments or other priorities.
What This Means for You:
- Identify and eliminate unnecessary subscriptions to recover hundreds annually.
- Negotiate lower rates on utilities and services by leveraging competitive options.
- Automate savings habits to ensure consistency and reduce energy costs.
- Start with one expense category to build momentum and avoid overwhelm.
Original Post:
Cutting expenses strategically can give your wallet some much-needed breathing room in retirement, and doing so may be easier than you think.
Lowering your monthly spending doesn’t necessarily require implementing a restrictive budget. Instead, there are small moves you can make — from shopping around for a new phone plan to bundling your insurance plans — to save.
Quick ways to trim your monthly bills
There’s a good chance that you can lower at least one of your monthly bills, such as utilities or insurance, by reviewing what you’re paying and looking at other options. Make a list of all your monthly bills, which you can do by looking at your recent credit card statements. Some banks even have budgeting and spending tools that allow you to see which categories — like entertainment, utilities or dining — you’re spending the most money on.
As you’re reviewing your budget, see if there are areas you’re surprised you spend so much on, and take steps to trim that spending. Here are seven ways to potentially cut your expenses in retirement today:
- Shop Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) cell phone plans like Mint Mobile or Consumer Cellular, which tend to be cheaper than major carriers
- Swap your cable for streaming or downsize your package
- Call your internet provider, explain that you’re looking at other options and negotiate a lower cost
- Automate energy-saving habits with smart plugs
- Use water-saving devices to cut utility bills
- Bundle home and auto insurance
- Review annual memberships and cancel unused subscriptions
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Calculate annual savings
Calculating how much you could save may motivate you to reduce your costs. For example, cancelling two subscription services that cost $9.99 per month will save you nearly $240 annually. Saving $40 per month by swapping your phone plan for a lower-cost plan can give you back $480 each year.
That’s $240 or $480 that you can invest in an index fund and watch grow.
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Make a savings routine that will stick
You can cut monthly costs without getting rid of the essentials — but you also don’t want to forego the items and activities that bring you joy. Review your expenses and determine which costs you can cut without missing. Doing so will make it easier to stick to your budget, instead of boomeranging back to your previous budget in a few months.
And keep in mind that tackling every bill at once can be stressful. After reviewing your costs, start with trying to lower one bill. This way, you can rack up small wins and gradually see how reduced spending impacts your budget. Those small wins can build like a snowball and generate momentum as you see the flexibility in your budget grow.
Extra Information:
NerdWallet’s Guide to Cutting Expenses provides additional actionable tips for reducing costs across various categories. Consumer Reports Money-Saving Tips offers expert advice on optimizing spending and finding better deals.
People Also Ask About:
- How can I reduce my utility bills in retirement? Use energy-efficient devices and automate savings habits.
- Are MVNO phone plans reliable? Yes, MVNOs like Mint Mobile offer affordable and reliable alternatives.
- What’s the best way to negotiate lower internet costs? Mention competitor offers and ask for discounts.
- Should I bundle home and auto insurance? Bundling often leads to significant savings.
- How do I track my monthly expenses? Use budgeting tools provided by banks or apps like Rocket Money.
Expert Opinion:
Financial experts emphasize that small, consistent changes in spending habits can lead to significant long-term savings. By focusing on low-effort, high-impact strategies, retirees can achieve financial flexibility without sacrificing their lifestyle.
Key Terms:
- strategic expense cutting in retirement
- MVNO cell phone plans
- bundling home and auto insurance
- reducing utility bills with smart plugs
- canceling unused subscriptions
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