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Should I Pay Off a Mortgage Before Retirement?

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For many of us, the mortgage debt is the largest in our budgets. That is why entering retirement debt-free seems ideal for many people.

Getting rid of a big debt could save you thousands of dollars in interest and free up money you can add to your retirement savings or just reduce your expenses in retirement.

It is my dream to pay off our mortgage before we retire. But I do not think it is possible. And I am not alone. According to stats, more and more people retire owing money on their homes. The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances showed that 37.6% of households of people aged 65 to 74 had a mortgage in 2019.

We all know that it can take decades to pay off your mortgage. But does it always make sense to pay off a mortgage before you retire?

Reasons to consider paying off your mortgage before retirement.

There are many reasons to consider when deciding should I pay off my mortgage before retirement or not:

  • You may be able to retire sooner.
  • You will have one less bill to pay each month in retirement.
  • It will provide you with more income in retirement.
  • Paying off a mortgage before retirement can reduce stress.

Also, it makes sense to pay off a mortgage before retirement:

  • If the house is worth more than the mortgage balance.
  • If the interest rate on your mortgage is higher than the rate of return on your investments.

Here is a related post you might want to read:

Benefits of paying off your mortgage before retirement.

Most people would be better off not having a mortgage in retirement. Getting into retirement with an unpaid mortgage will put a burden on your lifestyle.

When you are working, you have years of earned income to pay off a mortgage. But once you retire, you will be living on a fixed income. And when you start living on a fixed income, it is hard to pay off debt if you need to pull big chunks of money from your savings. Although, large withdrawals from retirement funds could push you into a higher tax bracket.

Frankly, it will make your retirement life a lot harder if you must continue to pay a mortgage when you are not working. In addition to that, you still have to spend money on property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, maintenance, and repairs.

The simple fact that you have lower housing costs means you will need less income to cover this essential expense. Also, you will have more retirement income left for other retirement expenses.

Being debt-free gives you more freedom and money left in your pocket to enjoy your golden years than struggling to pay off the mortgage.

Roman and I refinanced our house many times. But even with a low-interest rate of 2.5 percent, the mortgage payments take the biggest chunk of our budget.

Here is a list of benefits of paying off your mortgage before you retire:

  • Give you peace of mind
  • Provide you a place to live without worrying about monthly payments
  • Reduce your retirement expenses
  • Saving you money on interest

How to pay off your mortgage before retirement:

Refinance to a shorter-term loan. One way to pay off your mortgage faster is to refinance to a shorter loan term. For example, you can apply for refinancing your mortgage from a 30-year to a 15-year loan. That can put you on the fast track to paying off your mortgage.

However, it is important to remember that a shorter-term loan means higher monthly payments. Make sure your budget can handle the higher payments each month.

Refinance to a lower interest rate. Another smart option to reduce your mortgage debt is refinance it at a lower rate. In 2020 Roman and I refinanced our mortgage with Ameri Save Mortgage Corporation at 2.5 percent. It helps us bring down our monthly payments and save up to $500 a month.

Make an extra payment each month or each quarter. Look at your mortgage balance and figure out how much extra you can put toward your mortgage each month. Those extra payments can reduce your principal balance significantly.

Making an extra payment 4 times in one year could remove 10 years from your payoff date.

Every dollar you pay above your regular monthly payment helps speed up your payoff date. It does not mean that you have to start doubling up your monthly payments. Simply adding an extra $100 a month to the principal can speed up your payoff date for 5 years.

Switch to bi-weekly payments. Also, instead of sticking with the traditional monthly payments, you can start making bi-weekly mortgage payments.

When you switch to a bi-weekly mortgage payments program, you split your payment in half and pay twice each month. There are 52 weeks in a year. If you switch to bi-weekly payments, you end up making 26 payments which are equal to 13 monthly mortgage payments – one extra payment yearly.

With this strategy, you will be able to knock off a few years of your mortgage balance and reduce the amount of interest you pay on the loan.

Put extra cash towards your mortgage. Whether it’s a bonus, tax refund, salary raise, or inheritance, put every dollar towards paying down your mortgage debt.

Reasons not to pay off your mortgage before you retire.

Rushing to pay off your mortgage before retirement may not be a good idea for many reasons:

  • Paying off your mortgage early could trigger a penalty
  • You may be better off investing the money
  • You may need to borrow against your home equity later
  • You will be paying off your mortgage with savings

Tax benefits. Your mortgage interest is tax-deductible.

If you are still working and in the 35% tax bracket, every dollar you pay in mortgage interest saves you 35 cents in federal income taxes. Also, you save money on state income taxes.

A mortgage is a low-cost debt. A mortgage is one of the least expensive loans available.

If you have a credit card debt, it often comes with a higher interest rate than a mortgage. Do not rush to pay off a 2.5 or even 3.5% mortgage if you have credit card loans or other debt you are still paying off at 18 or 20% rates.

It is better to save for retirement than pay off a mortgage. As I mentioned above, mortgages are often the cheapest money you will ever be able to borrow.

Typically, mortgages have a lower rate and even fixed-rate, helping to ensure that borrowed money remains cheap for the next 15 or 30 years. That means people have the opportunity to put funds elsewhere, such as in savings and retirement accounts.

Thanks to compound interest, a dollar you save and invest today has more value than a dollar you invest 5 or 10 years from now. That is because your invested money will be earning interest on top of interest for a long time. For that reason, it makes more sense to start saving for retirement when you are younger rather than focus on paying off your mortgage.

What to do if you cannot pay off your mortgage before retirement?

Unfortunately, not everyone can pay off a mortgage. Retiring with mortgage debt is becoming a more common scenario.

person holding a house keys - benefits of paying off mortgage before retirement

To pay off a mortgage before retirement might not be realistic for everyone. If you are like me and worry about how to afford mortgage payments in retirement, there are several options to consider:

Downsizing. Your home is one of the biggest investments.

If you have been living there for a long time, your home went up in price and accumulated a lot of equity. One of the ways to get rid of mortgage payments and home maintenance bills is to sell the house.

If you cannot afford to pay off your mortgage, you might consider selling your home. You can sell the big house and trade it down for a smaller house or a condo. Or you can move to a cheaper area and pay cash for your new house.

Related Post: 5 Tips on How to Downsize for Retirement

Invest equity. Do you want to deal with the hassle of homeownership in retirement?

Maybe you rather spend time traveling and visiting family and friends. In this case, your option will be to sell your home, invest cash, and enjoy living on rent and mortgage-free.

Investing the cash from home sales will bring you additional income in retirement. If you let it grow for 10 years in your investment portfolio, and it might be enough to pay cash for your next house or a condo if you are tired of renting.

But many people would prefer to stay in their homes and retire in place. They want to remain in their neighborhood for life.

In this case, homeownership might provide several options to fund your retirement without the risk of stock market investments.

In this case, consider a reverse mortgage. Those people who have big equity built up in their homes could apply for a reverse mortgage. This type of loan can be also used to pay off the existing mortgage.

A reverse mortgage is also known as a home equity conversation mortgage (HECM). It provides income to retirees and does not require monthly payments. You still have to pay taxes and home insurance, and you will be responsible for maintenance.

The best part is that you will receive a portion of your home equity in cash without requiring you to move out. But the loan has to be repaid when the owner sells the house, moves out, or dies.

A reverse mortgage can be flexible, and you can take HECM as a line of credit (HELOC), lump sum, or annuity.

One option is to use HECM for your medical or long-term care expenses late in life when you run out of money.

Another option is to set up an annuity to increase Social Security and any other retirement income you will receive.

However, reverse mortgages can be complicated. There are many terms and conditions, and it is a relatively expensive way to borrow money. So, make sure to do your research to understand all the pros and cons, and talk to a loan specialist.

Your Guide to Reverse Mortgages

Should you pay off your mortgage before retirement if you could? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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How to Cut Expenses Before You Retire

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If you are near retirement age, these tips on how to cut expenses will help you save more and give you the freedom to retire sooner.

And if you are still working, you are in a great position today to improve your life in retirement because you still earn an income. Your remaining working years could be a great time to explore some smart options of cutting expenses before you stop working.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans aged 65 and older spend about $48,000 per year ($4,000 per month) on average.

In retirement, most of your money will be spent on 3 big categories – housing, transportation, and medical.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, for adults aged 65 and older:

  • Housing represents 34% of spending
  • Transportation represents 16% of spending
  • Health care represents 13% of spending

1. Reduce housing cost.

I do not have to tell you that your housing costs eat up a big chunk of your money every month. Even in retirement, the cost of housing will be your biggest financial burden.

Bringing an unpaid mortgage with you into retirement will cause a lot of financial stress each month.

The cost of homeownership for the average American household is $13,153 annually without the cost of a mortgage.

Based on my own calculations, Roman and I spend $28,400 a year on mortgage, insurance, taxes, utilities, and maintenance. It takes 25 percent out of our annual budget without the cost of home improvements and major repairs.

According to statistics, the average retiree household spends around $17,472 per year ($1,456 per month) on housing expenses including mortgage, rent, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and repairs.

Pay off your mortgage.

You will make your retirement life a lot harder if you must continue to pay a mortgage when you are not working. Plus, you still have to spend money on property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, maintenance, and repairs.

The simple fact that you have lower housing costs means you will need less income to cover this essential expense. In addition, you will have more retirement income left for other retirement expenses.

Retirees often have to withdraw money from retirement funds to cover their mortgage payments. Unfortunately, those withdrawals typically trigger more taxes.

Look at your mortgage balance and figure out how much extra you can put toward your mortgage each month. Those extra payments can reduce your principal balance significantly.

Also, instead of sticking with the traditional monthly payments, you can start making bi-weekly mortgage payments.

Refinance your mortgage.

Another smart option to reduce your mortgage debt is to refinance it at a lower rate.

In 2020 Roman and I refinanced our mortgage with AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation at 2.5 percent. It helps us bring down our monthly payments and save up to $500 a month.

Unfortunately, not everyone can pay off a mortgage. Retiring with mortgage debt is becoming a more common scenario.

If you cannot afford to pay off your mortgage, you might consider selling your home.

Downsize your home.

Are you an empty nester? Then it might be the perfect time to reconsider your living condition.

The smart choice would be to sell your home and move to a smaller home or condo. By reducing your housing costs today, you can get extra cash into your pocket before you retire.

Look at the advantages of a smaller home or condo:

  • A smaller mortgage
  • Lower property taxes
  • Reduced homeowner’s insurance premiums
  • Fewer maintenance costs
  • Less yard work, especially if you get a condo

To help you get started, here are a few useful articles you may want to read:

2. Reduce transportation cost.

According to statistics, the average retiree household spends around $7,492 a year ($624 a month) on transportation.

The cost of transportation is likely to drop when you stop working. While you will not spend money on commuting anymore, not all your transportation expenses will disappear.

We all know that cars are expensive. Not only you have to pay for gas, maintenance, and repairs, but you also need to insure them. With inflation and gas prices going up every year it will make your life on a fixed income more difficult.

If you need a car, your goal should be to spend the least amount of money on a reliable car.

Here are a few options of how to reduce the costs of your vehicles before you retire:

Downsize your vehicles.

One of the best ways to reduce the cost of transportation is to downsize your vehicles.

If a large chunk of your income goes into maintaining several cars or driving luxury cars, I would suggest downsizing or choosing a different car. Going from two cars to one or downgrading to a less expensive car can help you significantly reduce the costs of gas, auto insurance, and maintenance.

According to LendingTree, the cost of a new car, including additional costs like fuel, insurance, and tires is between $23,903 (a small car) to $57,267 (a full-size car) per year.

However, if you have already paid off your car, it makes more sense to keep it as long as you can. That way, you do not need to worry about monthly car payments. Instead, you can take that money and use it to pay down any other debts or save more for retirement.

Buy a used car.

Many people choose to lease their cars because they want to have a new car every few years. Leasing works better if you are on the road for business and can deduct the lease payments.

But if you are near retirement, buying a good used car rather than a new one for the image will help you afford retirement sooner.

Most of the vehicles lose about half of their value by the time they are five years old. So, if you decide to buy a used car, a three-year-old car will cost you less in upfront expenses and maintenance.

Between paying on average $40,000 for a new car, you can save a lot of money by spending on a used car only $22,351(at the end of January 2021).

A useful post from LendingTree: Should I Buy a Used or New Car?

Use public transportation.

In case you are planning to move from the suburbs to an urban area, you should sell your cars and take advantage of public transportation.

In this scenario, you do not need to worry about the costs of your vehicles at all. Just buy a monthly public transportation pass. And when you want to go on a road trip, simply rent a car.

Use car-sharing services.

Most urban cities also have car-sharing services that give you easy and affordable access to a car for temporary needs.

Also, using services like Uber or Lyft can help you save money without the regular monthly costs associated with owning or leasing a car. With the gas prices are going up every year, you do not need to worry about that additional expense.

3. Get rid of a high-interest debt.

High-interest credit card debt can be one of the biggest burdens on your financial life in retirement.

Most of the credit cards come with high-interest rates – 18 to 20 percent.

credit card - cut credit card debt before retirement

If you carry a big balance on your credit cards, you will be stuck paying that required minimum every time your credit card bills come due.

Keep in mind, that if you bring a mortgage, high-rate credit card debt, and maybe a car loan into retirement, you will put a lot of pressure on your limited finances.

There are two most popular debt payment strategies:

  • The snowball strategy
  • The avalanche strategy

The snowball strategy – you are paying off debt from smallest balance to largest.

First, you focus on paying off the credit card with the smallest balance. Then you move on your next smallest credit card bill until all credit card debt is paid off in full.

The avalanche strategy – you organize your payments by interest rate – from high to low.

First, you pay off debt with the highest interest rate as quickly as possible (even with extra money). Then you move on to the card with the next highest interest rate.

I recommend focusing on your highest-interest debt first because the longer it takes you to pay it off, the more money you will pay towards interest.

And if you can help it, do not add any more debt to the pile while paying off old debts.

A helpful post:

4. Review your insurance coverage.

Getting closer to retirement might be a good time to review how much you spend on insurance and how to cut that expense.

Life Insurance

First, you might look at your life insurance and decide if you still need it.

The main purpose of life insurance is to replace lost income. If your kids are grown and you no longer have any dependents who will need financial help after you die, it might be wise to drop policies. Paid-up policies can be sold.

If you have a term life policy, make sure you understand whether the payout at your death is worth the cost of the premium you are paying today.

Auto and homeowners’ Insurance

You might also look at your deductibles for your vehicles and homeowners’ insurance policies.

When you are still working, it makes sense to set your deductibles low. But low deductibles increase the amount you pay in insurance premiums. So, when you raise your deductibles, you will pay less for your vehicles and homeowners insurance premiums.

Once you retire, you might want to pay less for your insurance policies so you will have more money to cover your daily expenses.

Healthcare

In retirement many people will spend most of their money on health insurance, medical services, and drugs, as they age.

I my articles I often write about the cost of medical expenses in retirement. Because I want to remind my readers that healthcare is going to be their second biggest expense after housing, and they need to plan for it.

According to the Fidelity Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate, an average retired couple may need around $300,000 saved (after tax) to cover healthcare costs in retirement.

Here is a helpful article you might want to read:

Most people will be eligible for Medicare at age 65. But if you plan to retire before age 65, you will need to find a separate plan to cover your medical expenses.

Individual health insurance is expensive and could cost more than $1,000 a month. Make sure to shop around for the best prices.

Even being eligible for Medicare brings its own set of challenges because it does not cover all medical expenses.

Medicare is not free. It does not cover premiums, deductibles, co-pays for doctor visits, dental and vision care, long-term care, personal care, and other expenses.

Long-term care insurance is the most recommended way of planning for future expenses.

Long-term care insurance will help you not be a financial burden on your family if that time comes. It will cover nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in-home care.

After all, you do not want to leave your husband or wife with nothing because the entire nest egg was spent on taking care of you.

Final Thoughts

If you do not know what your expenses look like in retirement, it will be difficult to predict how much money you need to save for the future.

But if you can get a sense of what to expect, it will be relatively easy to cut your expenses in these categories before you retire.

Have you had more ideas on how to cut expenses before retirement?

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Your 2021 Year-End Retirement Planning Checklist

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It is hard to believe that 2022 is around the corner! When it comes to finances, 2021 was a challenging year. Many people continued to work remotely, many faced unemployment, and many others were forced to early retirement.

The most important lesson I learned from the global pandemic is that it pays to be prepared. As 2021 comes to an end, I want you to make sure that you take some time and complete your year-end retirement planning checklist.

This is my list of 7 tasks to complete before this year comes to a close.

1. Look at your spending.

The end of the year is a great time to look at your personal spending and see where your money is going. This year has been full of change and adjustment. With many people working remotely, there is a good chance your spending habits have changed as well.

How did you do this year? Have you tracked your spending against your budget?

Did you get a full picture of your finances and know how much money you have saved (or not) in 2021?

If you have struggled this year, decide how to improve your financial situation for the next year. Are there debts you should be making a priority to pay off? Look at your budget and decide if there were parts that were difficult to stick to.

Look at your credit card and bank statements and see what expenses could be avoided this year and plan to cut them in the next year.

Keep in mind that balancing your income with your spending is the key to saving more money. Make sure you have a budget set up for the next year and decide on how much money you need to save in 2022 to meet your retirement goals.

2. Look at your retirement planning goals.

Calculate how much is your nest egg.

When you are near retirement, it is important to know how much money you will need to live comfortably for the rest of your life.

If you still have no idea how much money you will need, look at your current expenses and then evaluate how they might change in the future.

When you retire, you do not need a lot of things that you did when you were working. Generally, the costs of commute, take-out lunches, and business clothes will go down. However, you might start spending more money on travel, hobbies, and activities.

Calculating your nest egg is easy if you already have a budget and know how much you spend now. The next step is to get a clear picture of how it might change in the future based on your retirement lifestyle.

Related Articles:

Another option to figure out how much money you need to retire is to replace 70 to 80 percent of your annual pre-retirement income. For example, if you earn $70,000 per year before retirement, you should expect to live off $49,000 to $56,000 per year.

Review your savings and set up goals for 2022.

For many of us, conducting an end-of-year review of retirement savings is the best way to take steps on significant changes before the next year.

coins on the table - retirement saving goals checklist

The first step is to look at how your retirement saving has stacked up. Have you maximized your retirement plan contributions? Have you increased your retirement contributions if your income has gone up during the past year?

If you have not this year, make it a goal to increase your contributions to retirement plans such as 401(k), IRA, and Roth IRA next year.

The important thing to remember is that retirement plan contributions allow you to save a lot of money on current taxes and not to miss any employer contributions.

When you are a few years away from retirement, being short on retirement savings can be problematic. Many of us spend less money due to the pandemic and working from home. We all spend less on Starbucks coffee, commute to work, eating out, vacations, and more. Stash that money into retirement savings!

Make it a next year’s goal to reduce your current spending, so you can put more money into your retirement savings.

Related Article: Why Do You Need to Max Out Your 401(k)?

Check your progress on getting out of debt.

The end of the year is a great time to sit down and check your progress on paying down debt.

When you are working, you have years of earned income to pay a mortgage, credit card, student, or any other kind of loan. But once you retire, you will be living on a fixed income.

When you start living on a fixed income, it is hard to pay off debt if you need to pull big chunks of money from your savings. Although, big withdrawals from retirement funds could push you into a higher tax bracket.

Being debt-free gives you more freedom and money left in your pocket to enjoy your golden years than struggling to pay the mortgage or other debts.

To pay off all debt including a mortgage might not be realistic for everyone. However, the less debt you have, the better you are prepared financially for retirement.

Recommended Article: How to Pay Off Debt Before You Retire

3. Review your retirement income.

In my year-end review, I always find time to look at our future retirement income.

When we are working, we typically have a single employer and a single source of income – our salary. In retirement, everyone has different sources of income – Social Security, pension, part-time job, investments, and retirement savings (401k, IRA, Roth IRA, Roth 401k).

I usually look at our current Social Security, retirement, and investment funds statements to get a clear picture of our potential retirement income. I wanted to make sure that we are on track to our retirement goals and have enough money to cover our living expenses when we stop working.

To make your assets last through the next 20 or 30 years, use the rule of thumb to withdraw 4 percent of your retirement money annually.

For example, if you have $500,000 in retirement funds, you can spend roughly $20,000 ($500,000 x 0.04) per year when you retire. Add this number to your Social Security, pension, and other savings, and calculate if it is enough to support the retirement of your dreams.

Helpful Articles:

4. Set a target retirement date.

When do you plan to retire? Is it in the next 3 to 5 years? We all need to plan for the day when we are ready to retire or can no longer work.

Looking at your target retirement date and retirement income, you can determine if you have enough money saved for the next 20 to 30 years. If it is not enough for a comfortable retirement, move the date and save more into your retirement funds.

5. Think about the future medical cost.

Health care is expensive. Unfortunately, many baby boomers forget to include it in their financial plans. Medicare will cover most of your routine healthcare costs if you retire at age 65 or older. Unfortunately, it does not pay for all medical bills, and it does not pay for long-term care at all.

Underestimating health care expenses or how to pay for long-term care can be a big financial mistake.

laptop on the table - end-of year retirement checklist

Think about your future medical cost and find ways to protect your retirement savings. Consider buying long-term care insurance because it can help you pay for home health aides in your late years. If you buy long-term care insurance now, your premiums will be lower than if you wait several years.

We have not purchased any long-term care insurance yet, but looking at opening an HSA account. Many financial advisors recommend opening a health savings account (HSA).

The 2021 HSA contribution limits are:

  • $3,600 for individual coverage
  • $7,200 for family coverage

The money you can contribute to HSA is tax-deductible or pre-tax. And any increase in the value of your account is free from federal taxes. But it has to be used for qualified medical expenses if you do not want to pay additional taxes on your contributions.

You can put money into HSA every year until you enroll in Medicare benefits. After that, you are no longer allowed to contribute. However, money that you do not spend will be accumulating in this tax-free account until you need it in retirement.

6. Rebalance your portfolio.

Take the opportunity to review your asset allocation and make sure your portfolio is diversified and invested for growth. You should have a mix of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other assets that fits your retirement goals.

The important thing to remember is that a well-balanced portfolio will help you weather market downturns. Also, it will generate a retirement income to cover your living expenses when you are not working.

It can be tempting to stay away from stocks to reduce the risk of losing money in your retirement funds. But stocks provide growth and investing for growth is important. If you retire at 65 and spend 20 years in retirement, you need to have enough growth in your portfolio to make money last that long.

Helpful Articles:

7. Review your will and living trust.

Another important part of your year-end retirement checklist is the status of your will and/ or revocable living trust. Keep them up to date and make sure you have suitable executors, trustees, and guardians in place.

Additionally, you will want to make sure your list of beneficiaries is up to date as well. If you have welcomed a grandchild to the family do not forget to add his/her name to the list. Also, if there has been a change in the family such as a marriage, divorce, or death, make sure to update your beneficiary list.

Looking ahead to the new year

The world is still in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic, but there is an economic recovery. I am not sure what to expect of the upcoming year though I remain hopeful that things will start turning up eventually.

Our retirement goals for the new year should be simple – keep working and saving money for retirement. And for the rest of the world, my hopes are much like everyone else’s – that we get out of this global pandemic soon and get back to our normal life.

What is on your year-end retirement checklist? Have done any year-end review of your retirement goals?

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How to Travel on a Budget in Retirement

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man in the field - travel on a budget in retirement

Traveling in retirement is the most common dream. Ask anyone about retirement plans and you will find something in common – a desire to travel and see the world.

According to the Transamerica Retirement Survey, almost 70 percent of American workers want to travel the world in retirement.

Why? Because retirement is the ideal time of life to travel, to enjoy the views and taste of the places people could not afford to experience when they were younger. But travel as a dream often gets left unfulfilled because many people worry about the high costs of travel.

According to stats, an international trip typically costs up to five times higher and lasts three times longer than a domestic trip.

For those people who are still working, travel often means a rushed one-week or maximum of a two- week vacation. But when you retire you have more free time on your hands. And having more time on your hands means being more flexible. You can relax and enjoy your destinations at a slow pace. You can travel as long as you choose, and you can time your trips the way you want.

However, you have to be careful about how much you are spending because you are no longer receiving a regular salary and living on a fixed retirement income.

In this article, I have provided some helpful tips for your future travels in retirement and how to budget for it.

Pick destinations that off-season.

One of the biggest ways to cut your travel expenses is to travel during the off-season. You can cut the costs on plane tickets, hotels, food, museums, and tours. When places on your bucket list are less crowded, they are also less expensive.

For example, summer (and winter in some places) is the busiest travel season for tourists in Europe. Therefore, spring and fall are good for traveling on a budget. You can enjoy mild weather, smaller crowds, natural beauty, and low prices. However, the Caribbean islands are a good place to travel during the summer. It is cheaper because of the hot weather and hurricane season.

Keep expenses low by traveling slow.

All travel blogs recommend traveling slow if you want to cut the cost of travel expenses. By staying put in one place longer will allow you to reduce the costs of tickets and accommodations. For example, going on a trip to Paris would cost me about $1,350 from Boston airport (round trip ticket) and a mid-range hotel about $250 per night. Overall, I will spend around $2,850 for transportation and accommodations on a one-week trip.

I can stretch that trip to two weeks and the price will go up only $1500 since I do not have to pay for the plane ticket for my second week. But if I choose to travel during the off-season, I will only pay half price for the same travel expenses.

Paris is a very expensive city, but you can keep travel expenses low by renting a room or an apartment instead of staying at the hotel. So, if I prefer to rent an Airbnb apartment the cost would go down to $100 per night and I can cut expenses on food and eating out.

Instead of rushing through the city or country, take more time and try to experience the destination more like local people would do. The trick is to spend more time in one place so you can reduce your per-day travel expenses by spreading the cost of an airplane ticket over a long trip.

Cut travel costs on lodging.

The best way to avoid costly travel in retirement is to cut the costs of your lodging. Everyone likes to splurge on the fancy hotel. But if you are retired and traveling on a budget it is better to reduce your expenses by finding inexpensive lodging. Depending on the type of accommodation you choose and the city (or a country) you are visiting, you could be spending from $50 to $300 or $400 per night.

B&Bs (bed and breakfast) often offer a better price than a hotel, homemade breakfast, and plenty of local flavors.

Airbnb is another popular option for travelers today offering to rent a room, a beautiful apartment, or the whole house. Renting an Airbnb is much cheaper and ideal for staying in one place for several weeks or even months. You can buy food at local stores and prepare it at home or ask your host for budget-friendly local places to eat. Every potential host has a profile with pictures of their accommodations and references from previous guests.

Debby and Michael Campbell have been traveling since 2013. They blogged about their travels at “Senior Nomads”. To help to budget their travels they stayed at over 270 Airbnb’s and called them home while traveling through 85 countries.

If you want to cut costs on lodging use vacation rental websites such as Airbnb and VRBO to stay in one place longer and cheaper.

Airbnb

VRBO

Another way to save money on lodging is house sitting or house swapping. It became very popular among travelers of all ages.

House swap or house exchange.

If you do not plan on selling your home, you can put it to work when you are away traveling. The typical house exchange is an arrangement where you swap houses with somebody else in another country or city. It is a great way to vacation if you want to stay in one place for several weeks or a month.

For example, I live in Boston and planning to spend three weeks in Madrid. If there is someone from Madrid who wants to visit Boston at the same time, we can do a house swap. That way, I will save money on lodging and get to experience a new city in Spain. Websites like Homestay.com and Lovehomeswap.com make it easy to find an available home and provide safety measures for your peace of mind.

Cut travel costs on transportation.

The cost of airline, train, and bus tickets, as well as renting a car or using a taxi, makes traveling expensive. But there are a few strategies you can use to make your traveling in retirement more affordable.

mini-bus on the road - cut the costs of travel in retirement

Airplane tickets became very expensive with an additional cost of reserving a seat, extra fares for check-in luggage, carry-on bags, food, in-flight entertainment, and more.

The best way to find a cheap flight is to compare prices. We use Skyscanner, Kayak, and Expedia to compare ticket prices and make sure we get the best deal.

Another tip is to avoid buying tickets on Friday, Saturday or Sunday – these days are the most expensive to book airline tickets. Wait until Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday when there are not so many people browsing the internet to book the flights.

Even we are not retired yet, we always try to save money on airline tickets by flying during the middle of the week. We fly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays because no one wants to fly on these days and the airline tickets are the cheapest.

Another way to save money is to fly an early-morning or late-night flight. You can significantly cut the cost of your airline tickets if you choose to fly between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m. Prices are also cheaper if you fly after the major holiday or on the day of the holiday. Once we flew back from Europe on the 4th of July day and Boston airport was completely empty.

There are a few other ways to cut costs on airline tickets:

  • Let the airline choose your seat.
  • Bring your own food.
  • Do not purchase in-flight movies and TV shows.

Once you get overseas, you can save money on popular budget airlines like Ryan Air, Easy Jet, or Wizz Air. You can fly between European cities for as low as fifty dollars.

Traveling in Europe is wonderful because just within a few hours you can be in another country. If you do not want to fly, you can choose fast and reliable public transportation such as a train or bus. If you are on a tight budget, buses are almost always your cheapest option. Reclining seats, Wi-Fi, clean toilets allow you to travel in related comfort if you do not mind spending hours on a highway.

Trains, unlike buses, go straight through the countryside. So instead of staring at the never-ending highway, you can see more of the quaint towns and scenic landscapes.

But traveling by train can cost more than by bus unless you have a rail pass or book your tickets a few weeks in advance. The best way to buy European train tickets is through websites like Trainline, Omio, or RailEurope.com.

For example, if you travel around Italy, the high-speed train tickets will be more expensive (around 50-70 euro per ticket) than Italy’s regional trains.

Rick Steves gives the great overview of Italy rail passes and train tips.

Cut travel costs on food.

Food is another big travel expense. Eating out three meals a day or just dining at fancy hotel restaurants can take a big bite out of your travel budget. According to Business Insider reports, you can expect to spend an average of $71 per person at the fine dining restaurants (think ‘The Capital Grill’) and that does not include tax and tip.

Most people like to have pleasant dinner with appetizers, entrée, and dessert and splurge on expensive wine or cocktails. However, many restaurants have the same menu for lunch and dinner, but they mark up their prices for dinner.

One of my favorite ways to save money on food while traveling is to eat a big lunch. Eating a bigger lunch will fill you up, and you can still have a small and affordable dinner at the end of the day.

variety of snack on table - cut the costs of food on retirement travel budget

Another way to cut travel costs on food is to go and shop at the local markets. You can make your own breakfast or cook dinner with fresh ingredients instead of spending money at an expensive restaurant. During our travels, we like to experience the local cuisine. That is why we prefer to find mom-and-pop diners or eat at local cafes and bakeries.

When we travel and stay in an Airbnb apartment instead of a hotel, I like to take advantage of the kitchen, refrigerator, and microwave. We typically eat breakfast at home, then go sightseeing and stop somewhere for a big lunch. At the end of the day, I will cook dinner and then we will go out to have a few drinks at a local bar. I have learned that eating out for every single meal puts a lot of pressure on your travel budget.

Cut travel costs on activities and entertainment.

No matter where you travel, there are so many things to do that will cost you little or no money at all. If you are first time in the city, check out the popular tourist attractions. Many historical buildings and sites do not cost money to view. Hiking the trails, spending time on the beach, or checking out nature usually does not cost you money. If you bring your own lunch and water, you can have an amazing day outdoors without paying a fortune.

Many cities offer free local walking tours. But you will need to do research and plan ahead of time to reserve your spot.

9 Best Websites to Book Free Walking Tours

Before going on a trip, I use a few websites to book our sightseeing or day tours and other activities:

Viator

Get Your Guide

Keep travel costs low and cut on buying the stuff.

When you travel on a budget in retirement, you should prioritize your spending. If you want to keep the travel costs low, choose to spend money on experiences rather than souvenirs or trinkets. When you are on the road for many months, you do not need to own many things. You can save a lot if you cut on buying the stuff and focus on experiences and living life.

When you experience something, you create longer-lasting memories. Browse local markets without buying anything, take a photo to preserve your travel memories, and post it on Instagram or Facebook.

Related Posts:

Final Words

As you can see, there is a lot to think about traveling in retirement. Whether it is a short road trip or a long journey around the world, you need to prepare for it thoroughly.

Are you planning to travel during retirement? How do you budget for your travels?

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Checklist for Retirement Planning in Your 60s

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woman making notes at table outdoor - retirement planning in 60s

When you are in your 60’s you know that your retirement is around the corner. Getting closer to the retirement date can be both exciting and stressful. Everyone wants to have a happy and comfortable retirement.

But when you have a limited number of remaining years you need to take time to understand your retirement picture. You do not want to be one of those people who want to retire, but when that day finally arrives, they just let it happen. You want to be smart and invest time in planning and preparing for a big day. Before you take the plunge make sure that you are ready!

Here is a checklist of helpful steps to take for people in their 60s who plan to retire in the next 5 to 7 years:

1). Understand your retirement lifestyle.

Before talking about finances, I want you to answer the following questions:

  • Where do I want to live in retirement?
  • What do I want to do in retirement?

Answering these questions is important because it will determine the cost of your retirement. Most people already have a vision of their next phase of life. But not everyone goes into the details of planning it.

Think about retirement in stages. Your early years of retirement are going to be the most active. Then you will settle down and face a slowdown in your activities. Your retirement lifestyle will determine the cost of your retirement.

For example, I love to travel and have a long bucket list of places I want to see and countries to visit. plan on traveling the world when we retire. Once we retire, we are planning to spend half a year abroad traveling. That will take a significant amount of money to cover our travel expenses. But we already have determined a retirement budget for the first 5 years of our travels. Eventually, we will slow down and start spending more time at home. Going on one or two big trips a year will be all we can afford to pay for the cost of traveling.

Being in your 60s is an ideal time to look at your retirement plans. You are close enough to retirement to have a realistic idea of how you want to spend your golden years.

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2). Finalize your income and expenses.

Once you have a picture of your retirement lifestyle you need to finalize your financial assets and see if you have enough money saved to pay for this life.

Income

Financial experts suggest that you need about 80 percent of your pre-retirement income to maintain the same standard of living in retirement. Suppose my current annual income is $60,000. Multiply that number by 80 percent ($60,000 X 0.8 = $48,000). So, I will need around $48,000 in retirement to live the way I do today.

This number is a good rule of thumb if you do not plan on making any major budget changes when retire. However, not all retirees spend less in retirement. And if I have expensive hobbies like traveling, I will need a higher number.

Now when you are close to retirement, the rule of thumb “80 percent of pre-retirement income” should be replaced with real numbers. This number should include your daily living expenses and the money you want to spend on hobbies and activities.

Sources of retirement income:

When you are working you probably have a single employer and a single source of income – your salary. In retirement, everyone has different sources of income. As a retiree, you receive income from multiple sources:

Guaranteed income:

  • Social Security
  • Pension
  • Annuity – a guaranteed income you must purchase yourself

Other sources of income:

  • Part-time job
  • Rental income
  • Business
  • Dividends

Income from your retirement funds:

  • Tax-deferred accounts – 401(k), IRA
  • Tax-free – Roth IRA, Roth 401(k)
  • Taxable investment accounts
  • Taxable bank checking and savings accounts

While working, you receive a paycheck regularly – probably every two weeks. When you retire, you might receive income monthly, quarterly, annually, and even irregularly. Getting a clear picture of your retirement income should help to make sure that you have enough money to cover all your living expenses.

Expenses

I know nobody likes to read about budgeting. But the best advice is to create an estimated retirement budget based on your current and future expenses. You might have a general idea of what you spend now. But you will be better prepared if you have a clear picture of your expenses now and how that might change in the future.

When you retire you do not need a lot of things that you did when you were working. The costs of commute, take-out lunches, and business clothes will go down. But you will start spending more money on travel, hobbies, and activities. And your medical expenses will increase with time.

lake-boats-flowers-retirement planning and retirement expenses

It is important to include big-ticket expenses into the retirement budget as well. Paying for a wedding, buying a new car or a lake house will require a significant amount of money withdrawn from your retirement funds.

If you do not know how to create a retirement budget or organize your finances for retirement, I recommend reading my articles:

3). Minimize your debt.

When you are in your 60s make it a goal to pay off your credit card debt, student loans, car loans, home equity loans, and any personal loans before your retirement date. Do everything you can to retire debt-free and even pay off your mortgage if possible.

When you stop working and start living on a fixed income you will need to stretch those retirement dollars as far as you can. How can you enjoy your retirement if you must spend a portion of your retirement income to make mortgage or debt payments each month?

Credit cards

If you are carrying a high-rate credit card debt you are putting a lot of pressure on your finances. There are two most popular debt payment strategies – the snowball strategy and the avalanche strategy.

The snowball strategy works by paying off the credit card with the smallest balance and then working your way up until all credit card debt is settled. The avalanche strategy allows you to pay off your highest interest rate debt first and then work it down. I recommend focusing on your highest-interest debt first because the longer it takes you to pay it off, the more money you will pay towards interest.

And if you can help it, do not add any more debt to the pile while paying off old debts.

Over the years Roman and I have accumulated $170,000 in debt – car loans, student loans, construction loans, and medical expenses. It took us 21 years (from 1999 to 2020) to pay them off. The only debt we have left is the mortgage. We try to increase our payments towards the principal. Recently, we refinanced but I do not think we will finish paying it off in full before we retire.

Mortgage

When you are in your 60s, one of the smartest things you can do is to pay off your mortgage before you retire. A mortgage-free retirement is usually best because you can spend more money on the fun stuff. Retirees often have to withdraw money from their retirement funds to cover their mortgage payments.

Unfortunately, those withdrawals typically trigger more taxes. That is why it is better to pay down your mortgage while you are still working, so you can keep your housing expenses low.

Look at your mortgage balance and try to figure out how much extra you can put toward your mortgage each month. Those extra payments can reduce your principal balance significantly. Also, instead of sticking with the traditional monthly payments, you can start making bi-weekly mortgage payments. In addition to that look into refinancing your mortgage to get a lower rate and to reduce your monthly payments.

However, for many people paying off the house is not financially possible. When a payoff is not feasible, you should reduce mortgage debt by refinancing it. We recently refinanced our mortgage with AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation at 2.5 percent. It helps to lower our monthly payments and save us $500 a month.

When you are in your 60s, getting out of debt should be your priority. At this age, you have to make the most of your remaining years in the workforce to increase your retirement savings within the next 5 to 7 years.

I recommend reading my article:

4). Maximize your retirement savings.

When you are only a few years away from retirement, being short on retirement savings can be problematic. The best option is to start spending less so you can put more money into your retirement savings.

Whenever possible, increase your retirement contributions up to the maximum allowed in retirement plans such as 401(k), IRA, and Roth IRA.

The 2021 contribution limits are:

  • $19,500 for 401(k) retirement plans. And if you are age 50 or older, the catch-up contribution is an additional $6,500. So, you can save a total of $26,000.
  • $6,000 combined contribution for traditional IRA and Roth IRA. And the catch-up contribution for people age 50 or older is $1,000. So, you can save up to $7,000 with your pre-tax money (IRA) and after-tax money (Roth IRA).

When you are getting closer to retirement, maximizing your traditional 401(k) and IRA accounts is important but not always enough. While you are still working you can make it a priority to save even more money in your Roth IRA account, emergency fund, and perhaps taxable investment funds if possible.

Another way to increase your retirement savings is to work longer. The goal is to make the most of your working years. You need to maximize the time you have left. Earning an income for a few more years could improve your financial security in retirement.

I am sure you may not like to hear this, but the fastest way to save more money for retirement is to cut your expenses. If you start practicing how to curb your spending and live on less money today, it will make your life easier in retirement.

Many people in their 60s enjoy the life of empty nesters. When the kids are gone, they start spending more on luxuries. It is easy to get used to a luxurious lifestyle, start spending more and saving less. However, it will be tricky to save money and even to retire if you let your spending get out of control. After all, the less you spend the more you save.

Related Article: 15 Ways to Live on Less in Retirement

5). What is your retirement income plan?

After decades of earning and saving money for retirement, you need to shift gears and start spending what you have saved. And being just a few years away from retirement date is the best time to find out how much income you can pull from your nest egg.

There are three sources of your retirement income:

  • Social Security
  • Pension income (if you are the lucky one)
  • Income from your investments and savings

When you stop working you need money to pay for your retirement expenses. After you retire, you will receive Social Security payments. But that will be only a portion of your retirement income. You will start receiving payouts from your retirement savings.

But you will have to figure out a strategy of how to withdraw money from your retirement funds. This withdrawal strategy should give you the income you need from your first month of retirement through your 80s or 90s.

The “4% rule” is a well-known rule of thumb and a good starting point. According to this rule, you can withdraw 4% of your account balance.

For example, if you have $500,000 saved in retirement funds you can withdraw 4% of that amount – $20,000 in the first year of your retirement. You can adjust that number every year for inflation but following this rule should help you not to run out of money for at least 30 years.

Though, you have to be aware that there are a few problems associated with following this rule:

  • Return risk – the risk of earning smaller returns than it was in the past.
  • Longevity risk – the risk of living a long time and running out of money at the end of your life.
  • Series of return risks – the risk of a market downturn during your early withdrawal phase.

Even it is not perfect, the 4% rule is a good starting point you can adjust with time.

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6). Decide how to cover medical expenses.

You will become eligible for Medicare at the age of 65. If you plan to retire before age 65 you will need to find a separate plan to cover your medical expenses.

Your health insurance provided by your employer ends when you stop working. Even though your current employer promise to cover your health insurance in retirement does not mean they will not change their mind in the future or reduce coverage significantly. Thus, you will need to find and buy your health insurance coverage. Individual health insurance is expensive and could cost more than $1,000 a month. Make sure to shop around for the best prices.

Even being eligible for Medicare brings its own set of challenges because it does not cover all medical expenses. Medicare does not cover premiums, deductibles, co-pays for doctor visits, dental and vision care, long-term care, personal care, and other expenses. This means you need to include healthcare costs in your retirement budget.

7). Protect yourself and those you love.

Have you thought about how to protect yourself as you age and how to help your family care for you if you need it? When the time comes that you need assistance who will manage your finances, your medical care, and your regular day-to-day life? I understand that these are difficult topics to discuss. But it is a part of reality to grow old. And if you love your family you will plan for it, so your loved ones will not struggle and may have to scramble to care for you.

I write often in my articles about the cost of medical expenses in retirement. I want to remind my readers that healthcare is the second biggest expense in retirement after housing and you need to plan for it. Medicare is not free. It does not cover all your medical expenses and does not pay for long-term care.

Long-term care insurance is the most recommended way of planning for future expenses. It will cover nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in-home care. It will help you not to be a financial burden on your family if that time comes. And you do not want to leave your husband or wife with nothing because the entire nest egg was used up taking care of you.

8). Think of tax strategies.

In retirement, we still need to pay taxes, but not all sources of income are taxed the same.

American dollars on a table - prepare tax strategy in your 60s

Withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans and traditional IRAs will be taxed as an ordinary income. Withdrawals from Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k) plans will be tax-free. If you want to withdraw money from taxable investment accounts, you will have to pay capital gains taxes.

In addition to taxes, you need to remember about required minimum distributions (RMD). You will face this requirement when you reach the age of 72. By the US tax law, you are required to start taking withdrawals from your retirement accounts such as 401(k) and IRA (excluding Roth IRAs). The amount you must withdraw will be determined by the IRS. If you have more than one retirement account, you can withdraw money from each account or total RMD from just one account.

It is important to remember that your RMD withdrawals might push you into a higher tax bracket.

Think about what tax strategies will work for you the best. If it makes more sense, you can roll your assets into Roth IRA before you reach RMD age. Another option is to start taking withdrawals from your retirement accounts before RMD kicks in so you would not face the sudden jump in taxes.

9). Reallocate your investments.

The last few years have been volatile years for financial markets. Many people pulled money out of the stock market. When you are close to your retirement date is tempting to stay away from stocks to reduce the risk of losing money in your retirement funds.

But keep in mind that stocks provide growth. And investing in growth is important at this stage of life. If you retire at 65 and spend 20 to 30 years in retirement, you need to have enough growth to make your money last that long.

Put it on your checklist to review your asset allocation and make sure your portfolio is diversified and invested for growth. What I am suggesting is to have a balanced mix of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other assets that fits your retirement goals.

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Final Words

Your 60s is a decade full of transitions. Perhaps your kids are out of the house, and you are thinking about downsizing. Perhaps you would like to relocate to a warmer climate. Medicare will kick in at 65 and you may also find yourself ready to leave the full-time job that defined so much of your daily life. Somehow you have to navigate the various transitions in this new period of your life.

Regardless of how you plan the transition to retirement, your most precious asset at this stage of life is your attitude. How you envision your future is everything. A positive attitude will carry you forward into the future and your golden years.

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