What does your version of a comfortable retirement look like?
You have to act on your own contributions as early as you can if you want to have more money to fund your epic retirement.
In this week’s newsletter:
Feature: What does your version of a comfortable retirement look like?
From Bec’s Desk
What does your version of a comfortable retirement look like?
When people start planning for retirement, one of the first questions that comes up is, “How much will I need to live comfortably?” It’s a great question — but it can also feel a bit overwhelming, as though there’s some secret formula you need a financial adviser to unlock.
The truth is, you don’t need an adviser to get started. Advisers can absolutely help later, especially when it comes to modelling how your pensions and savings can provide the income you need. But the first step is much simpler: getting clear on what comfortable looks like for you. It’s personal. It’s about lifestyle, not spreadsheets.
Everyone’s version of a comfortable retirement is different. It depends on what you want your days to look like, how you like to spend money, and what makes you feel content and secure. Maybe you picture yourself travelling abroad once a year, or perhaps you love the idea of exploring the UK by motorhome or train. You might want a smaller, low-maintenance home that’s warm in winter and easy to run, or a house big enough for the whole family to visit. Some people enjoy eating out and going to theatre shows or concerts; others are happiest cooking at home and entertaining friends. Even choices like shopping at Waitrose versus Aldi make a difference.
Your health plays a big part too. When you’re active and energetic, you’ll probably spend more on travel and experiences. If you’re managing a health condition, comfort might mean setting a bit extra aside for private healthcare, dental care, or physiotherapy.
So how do you actually figure out your version of comfort? Here’s a little exercise to try.
Step 1: Picture your lifestyle
Close your eyes and imagine a typical week in your ideal retirement. What do your mornings look like? How do you spend your time? Who are you with? Are you travelling, volunteering, doing some part-time work, or enjoying slow days at home? Getting a clear mental picture is the first step in defining what “comfortable” really means for you.
Step 2: List your must-haves
Write down what you need to feel secure — things like housing costs, council tax, groceries, utilities, insurance, and transport. Think about what it costs to run your life now, then consider what will stay the same and what might change. Do you need to add anything on for home maintenance or other necessary expenses?
Step 3: Add your “epic retirement spending”
Now think about the things that make life enjoyable — big annual holidays, short trips, hobbies, meals out, golf, theatre, weekends heading off to see family, caravan adventures, or spoiling the grandkids. These are what turn a budget into a lifestyle plan.
Step 4: Check how things might change
Your spending will shift once you stop working full-time. Maybe your mortgage will be gone, but your travel or leisure budget will rise — at least for the first decade. You’ll spend less on commuting and work clothes but possibly more on experiences or maintaining good health. List what will drop away and what will increase. Think about what you want from life, not just what you need.
Step 5: Add it up (roughly)
Now ballpark what your lifestyle might cost each year. It doesn’t have to be exact — think in broad ranges. For example:
A modest lifestyle might need around £25-30,000 a year
A comfortable one might sit around £40–£60,000
A more luxury, active or travel-heavy lifestyle could easily reach £70,000 or more
Once you’ve got that range, you’ve done the hardest part — you’ve defined your own version of comfort. Talk it through with your partner, sense-check it against reality, and make sure it feels right to you.
Because yes, there are plenty of official benchmarks out there for what a “comfortable retirement” looks like — the Pension UK’s Retirement Living Standards, for instance, can be a very handy reference point. But if you look closely, you’ll realise you probably don’t want their version of retirement. You want yours.
So start here: define what comfort means to you — your lifestyle, your priorities, your joy — and build everything else around that picture. That’s where the real clarity (and confidence) comes from.
Let me know how you go working through this exercise!
Hey everyone,
I’m going to start back at the beginning for everyone in the UK, with some of the most important and essential lessons for having an epic retirement. And then we’ll build from the base. I hope you enjoy them - and I’d love it if you’d share these simple lessons with your friends. The goal is to help people know where to start when they begin thinking about planning for retirement - and to make the journey easier.
So - what have you been up to this week?
For me, the week was busy, back on Aussie soil for me and off to Melbourne for some superannuation industry events. But it’s the last weeks of travel for a couple of weeks! Next I have to focus on audiobook recording. In fact, for the next three weeks I’ll be tucked away in the studio recording the two audiobooks that need to go out in the months ahead.
The recording for the NEW Australian and New Zealand edition of How to Have an Epic Retirement kicks off Monday. I’ll be in a dedicated studio for at least seven days to put that one to bed, and then I’ll start on the UK edition. It’s a great way to reconnect with the material — though I’m sure I’ll be completely over the sound of my own voice after three weeks in a booth! I’ve got a trusty jar of Manuka honey to maintain my voice.
Our audiobook has been one of the most loved formats over the past three years, so it’s exciting to be updating it with all the juicy new information and fresh stories.
You can order your copy of the UK book here: MAKE SURE YOU ORDER THE HARDCOVER EDITION - That’s the only format for the new UK book - The other ones are still linked to the Aussie edition and will shortly be removed from sale in the UK. Order link on Amazon here.
The other fun thing we’ve done in the last week or two is we’ve just launched a groovy range of merchandise - some fun t-shirts you can get in and order for Christmas - yes they are available in most countries, print on demand. Pop over to shop.epicretirement.net to order yours! They make great gifts for retiring colleagues too. And there’s 2025 and 2026 editions now available!
Now off and enjoy your Sunday!
Until next week,
Make it epic.
Got something to tell me - just reply to this email - or leave a comment here. I’m always looking for article inputs, real stories and questions I can help with answers to.
Many thanks! Bec Wilson
Author, podcast host, columnist, retirement educator, and guest speaker
On the UK book…
In case you missed it, I revealed the cover of the UK edition of How to Have an Epic Retirement three weeks ago. It’s a brand-new hardcover, completely rewritten for the UK, packed with detail on the State Pension, workplace and private pensions, and the realities of building a great UK lifestyle. The cover itself is a bit of a showstopper too, very different, and (I’m told) very British!
The book went to print this week and lands in stores on 11 December, which means I’ll soon officially be an author in three countries. (Fingers crossed I get to add bestselling to that line soon!)
👉🏻 You can pre-order your copy now to make sure it arrives before Christmas — see it on Amazon here.
(Important: Make sure you order the Hardcover edition as the other one is the Aussie book)
All my friends assume they’ll be healthy until 80-99 then die and expense death in a nursing home.
There takeaway is to work a few more years!
I love that you brought up the state of health in retirement. While my own dreams of retirement is a steady medical practice where I see patients, I can't imagine doing it without good health. Growing old is not the same as losing health, that's my message with my Healthy Aging newsletter. And it doesn't take a major sacrifice to achieve it, just as it doesn't take a major windfall to plan a sustainable, fun retirement - it's small, daily changes that add up to something great.
newsletter.drashori.com.