The ‘bucketing’ method of money management has been around for decades. But it shot to prominence when self-proclaimed ‘barefoot millionaire’ Scott Pape wrote about how easy it was, by using buckets, to get on top of your spending. But ‘financial bucketing’...
Retirement Spending Articles
Boomers fuelling inflation?
Is this really happening? The other night I saw an ABC TV report by business reporter, Daniel Ziffer. I normally find Mr Ziffer’s work to be both informative and interesting. So when he spoke of a ‘generational divide’ in Australia’s spending habits, I was...
Managing spending in retirement
The current economic climate has been described by many as a ‘crisis’. Whether rising prices and interest rates do indeed constitute a crisis is arguable. But it’s fair to say that most Australians are very concerned about the rapidly escalating costs of...
Learning to spend what you can afford
Keeping Retirement Simple – Part 4 In his book Straight Talk on Investing, a friend of mine, Jack Brennan, former CEO of The Vanguard Group, gives his views on the most important piece of advice. “Live below your means….simply put, you must not spend...
Your retirement horizon and your spending level
Keeping Retirement Simple – Part 2 In Australia, we’re responsible for our retirement. The government helps with the Age Pension and Aged Care. But the rest we supply ourselves through our super and other savings and perhaps some work...
Loans in retirement: Time for a rethink?
One of the best things about writing articles and explainers for Retirement Essentials is the quality of the comments we receive in return. A recent article on the ‘classic dilemma’ of paying off debt or retaining a mortgage (but earning more in other ways)...
Secrets of successful budgeting across your retirement journey
Your retirement journey is likely to be as quirky and individual as you are. But whilst most of us love fun and adventure, volatile cash flow is not the type of adventure we would embrace. Predictable income becomes even more important in retirement when you...
When cash is trashed …
What are your options? The other day I needed a $100 note for a gift for someone. I didn’t have my purse with debit card on me, but I did have my phone which has my debit account App installed. So I popped into the bank and expected to be able to wave my...
Do retirees really spend all their money? What the research tells us
Surveys tell us that the lifestage of retirement can be one of the most contented periods of our lives. One widespread positive sentiment is the sense of control over your own destiny, no longer having to answer to an employer’s needs Monday to Friday. But...