Retirement planning gets surprisingly complicated when two spouses don’t leave the workforce at the same time. One paycheck disappears, but many household expenses don’t simply fall by the same percentage, and some costs can actually increase. Health insurance may change, taxes can behave differently, commuting costs may disappear, and the newly retired spouse suddenly has considerably more time to spend money. That’s why couples approaching a staggered retirement need to build a new budget rather than assuming their old one will work with a smaller paycheck. These seven retirement expenses deserve another look before the first spouse clears out their desk.
