Planned Expenses Starting Retirement

With two months counting down, I am preparing to leave my work laptop and purchase a Mac Pro for personal use. Intended for photo editing, graphic design, music editing, and hopefully video editing. This may cost $2000-$2500, based on the CPU chip.

My wife’s employer is in a difficult financial state, and her workload multiplied, commute increased and reduced passion. Having reviewed a model with a temporary pause in her salary, we would not fare poorly. There would be some drag, but we are hopeful that either her next salary position or consulting options may not be too long. She too would be without a work laptop during this period, and a Mac Air would cost $1200.

Some auto repair had been budgeted, but following my wife’s suspension replacement a rock in her windshield requires full replacement—about $1500.

Not immediately, but best before the rainy season, some exterior weather proofing is needed. This may be $2000 and increasing.

There is no expensive travel planned, but if my wife is still between jobs next spring, we can be flexible with discretionary spending for one season.

We do have Protected 5yr Demand, as well as Energency 1yr Demand. So officially we do not need to feel too constrained—but if the market gets much weaker while between jobs we can consider discretionary spending.

Social Security is increasingly at risk of shortage or not proving the expected Guaranteed Income in the next decade. We will have to wait and see.