Being Frugal in Retirement To Make Your Money Last

Have you thought about retirement? Chances are, if you're young, hale and hearty, you haven't. Most people don't when they're young. This is a mistake. You have to start on planning your retirement while you're still young. You won't be able to work forever so being frugal in retirement to make your money last is important.

People usually make retirement plans when they've grown a little older and a little wiser. If you plan this way, you may have little time to accumulate a significant amount to make retirement easier and more comfortable for you. Starting out young is still the best way to plan for retirement.

When you are retired though, how do you stretch your money? How do you make it last? How can you be sure your money will outlive you? One never can tell when death comes knocking on one's door. Living out the rest of your life after your retirement money runs out is not a good way to live. Not everyone is lucky enough to have support from other avenues.

Live frugally. When you are retired, your primary, or maybe only, source of income will be the funds you set aside during your working years of prime. Depending on when you started saving up for retirement and on how much you regularly set aside, this can be a very paltry amount or alternately, a healthy amount.

This will be affected by how early you retire and how much you spend on maintaining your lifestyle. If you live a relatively lifestyle, the money may last longer. If your lifestyle leans more towards the extravagant side, the money may not last very long.

Being frugal means being wise about your spending. Frugality need not mean cutting back on your guilty pleasures. You just need to determine what your priorities are. You can still cut back on your expenses while enjoying the good life.

Work on a retirement plan. Some of the more popular retirement plans are the following:

* 401(k) Plans
* Safe Harbour 401(k) Plans
* Profit Sharing Plans
* Money Purchase Plan
* Defined Benefit Plan
* 403(b) Plan
* 457(b) Plan
* Deferred Compensation Plans

Always do your research. Know what each retirement plan can give you and what the options for each are. Do not be shy about asking for advice. You have worked hard all your life and you deserve to live out your retirement in relative comfort. Know what your plan and money can do for you.

If you're unsure about how to handle your finances, get expert help. A financial planning manager can help you make the best financial advice.

Watch your funds. The market can be very volatile. Pull out when you feel that your money can do better in other avenues. Don't wait until it's too late and very little is left. This will just mean hardship for you.

If you fear your retirement money will run short of your expected life span, take steps to augment your funds. This may mean working a bit longer or getting a part time job. Or, turn a hobby into a money making enterprise. You now have lots of free time. Why not put this spare time into good use?

Living comfortably in retirement need not be an impossible goal. You can still do this even if you did not start planning young and early. Invest your funds wisely, watch your funds carefully, spend thriftily and you can make retirement work for you.