How to Build a Reliable Retirement Budget, Manage Stress, and Prepare for the Wealth Transfer

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A good retirement budget isn’t about restriction — it’s about clarity. When the paycheck stops but life keeps moving, the goal is to understand what you truly need, what you enjoy, and how to make your money support the life you want. A solid budget gives you confidence, not pressure.

Start by listing your predictable monthly income: Social Security, pension payments, investment withdrawals, or part-time work. Then list your essential expenses — housing, utilities, food, insurance, medications, and transportation. These are the non-negotiables you build everything else around. Once you see the basics clearly, you can add flexible categories like travel, hobbies, gifts, or dining out. Many retirees are surprised to find that a few small adjustments (like switching insurance plans or reassessing subscription services) free up more room than expected.

The most useful budgets in retirement are flexible. Costs change, health needs shift, and some years you spend more on travel while other years you stay closer to home. Reviewing your budget every six to twelve months — or anytime your income changes — keeps things realistic. And remember: your budget should support your happiness, not limit it. Think of it as a tool to help you use your money with intention, rather than guessing and hoping it all works out.

💌 If you found these ideas helpful, forward this newsletter to a friend — a clearer financial picture makes retirement feel lighter for everyone.

“The Corner Bakery”
From the life overview of Irene S., 80, Portland, OR. Shared with permission.

The corner bakery smelled like warm bread and melted butter. It was the kind of smell that sinks into your clothes and hair and makes the whole neighborhood feel cozy. I used to visit the bakery after school while clutching a few coins, hoping they’d be enough for a cinnamon roll or a slice of fruit tart. The bell above the door jingled unevenly when it opened, and the baker always waved, flour on his hands and a streak across his cheek from kneading dough all morning.

One rainy afternoon, I ducked inside, dripping wet, and he handed me a small loaf on the house. I held it close, feeling the warmth through the paper bag, and sat on a bench by the window, watching raindrops race down the glass and the people scurrying past me, their umbrellas bobbing like little boats. The aroma of bread and rain mixed in a way that felt magical, ordinary and perfect at the same time.

Now, decades later, I pass that corner every week. The bakery is gone, replaced by a burger joint with neon signs and the smell of grease and grilled meat. It’s not the same, of course—the cinnamon rolls and warm bread are embedded in my memory—but I still pause for a moment, remembering the kindness of the baker, the warmth of that small loaf in my hands, and the rain tapping on the window. Life moves on, restaurants change, but the small joys and ordinary magic of that rainy afternoon stay with me, like crumbs that never quite disappear.

***

BBC Radio 4 — In Our Time
Hosted by Melvyn Bragg, this long-running discussion series brings scholars together to explore history, philosophy, science, and culture with clarity and depth. Each episode offers a calm, steady pace that makes even complex topics feel approachable.

Library of Congress: Free to Use and Reuse Collections
This curated gallery presents public-domain photographs, posters, maps, and illustrations selected from the Library of Congress archives. It’s a quiet, engaging place to browse visual history, from early Americana to nature studies, without ads or noise.

The Moth Podcast — Curated Story Playlists
The Moth’s themed playlists gather true stories told live, offering reflective, intimate listening without needing to follow a series. The tone ranges from thoughtful to gently humorous, and the storytelling is paced in a way that works well for short walks, quiet evenings, or morning routines.

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Staying on top of medications is easier when your phone does the remembering for you. Whether you take a daily vitamin or multiple prescriptions, setting reliable reminders can help prevent missed doses and keep your routine consistent. Below is a simple guide to get you started, plus a few more advanced tools for anyone who wants extra features like tracking, refill alerts, or shared reminders with family.

The easiest way to set up medication reminders is to use the built-in Clock or Reminders app on your phone.

On iPhone:

On Android (Samsung, Google, Motorola, etc.):

If you prefer something even simpler, smart speakers can help too. With an Amazon Echo using Alexa, just say: “Alexa, remind me every day at 8 p.m. to take my medication.”

If you’re comfortable installing apps and want more detail—like logging doses, tracking missed pills, or receiving refill reminders—several options make this easy.

Medisafe: A highly trusted medication-management app that sends persistent reminders, shows pill images to prevent mix-ups, and even alerts a family member if you miss a dose.

CareClinic: Helps with medication schedules, symptom tracking, and health journals. Great for people juggling multiple prescriptions or chronic conditions.

MyTherapy: A clean, simple app with daily checklists, refill alerts, and printable health reports you can bring to doctor visits.

If you share caregiving responsibilities with family, many of these apps let you safely share your schedule so a loved one can help keep track. Once everything is set up, your phone handles the remembering for you—making medication routines easier, steadier, and one less thing to worry about.

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Unscramble the letters to find a famous person, event, or object! Be the first to reply with the correct answer, and we’ll send you a free gift in the mail.

Today’s clue: Near-disastrous space mission summed up with a calm call to Houston.

POLAOL HTERNIET

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