@nctarheel Your paragraphs regarding cooking and clothes are true for many retirees. With regard to clothes, I still have suits and sport coats when the job required that style. Then, another set of clothes when business casual became the norm. And, for us folks, who still do physical work (handyman work, gardening, lawn, shrubs, trees, etc.) there are another set of work clothes that you can get dirty. All of the above plus three (3) seasons (warm, not so warm, and cold - Midwest 41 degree North Latitude), I do not need to buy any clothes unless I get invited to a tropical theme party and I need a Hawaiian shirt ( I don't have one).
At any rate, I try to read retirement planning articles whenever I come across one. Even though I worked with employee retirement benefits over 30 years, I do learn a thing or two from time to time. Tax and estate planning issues are needed by many. Also, when folks have not planned carefully for retirement, especially for a shortfall of retirement income, they need the proverbial "Plan B". In other words, they need to reduce discretionary spending (expenses); and, maybe some non-discretionary expenses (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) as well. Sometimes, new eyes can help us reduce spending as well as increase retirement income. Remember the expression that, I think, Ben Franklin said, " If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail". Or something similar.
