A simple way to bring more clarity to your retirement income plan.
A big part of building steady retirement income is knowing the difference between what must be funded consistently and what can flex year to year. When you separate your expenses into essential and discretionary categories, your income plan becomes easier to design and adjust.
Essential expenses are the steady commitments—housing, insurance, utilities, groceries, and anything else you rely on month after month.
Discretionary expenses are the lifestyle choices that can comfortably move up or down—travel, dining out, hobbies, entertainment, and one-time purchases.
Seeing these side by side helps you match the right income sources to the right needs, and it also supports the income style that feels most natural to you.
You can use the checklist below to sort your own spending quickly and easily.
Download the Expense Checklist
A simple, print-friendly worksheet to help you organize your essential and discretionary expenses.
Download Spending Categories Checklist
Want a little more guidance?
Your spending categories connect directly to your retirement income style—how you prefer to receive income and how much flexibility feels comfortable.
If you’d ever like help understanding how your spending, taxes, and investments can work together, I’m here.