9 Expenses That Often Rise After You Retire

Groceries and utilities are only two of the costs that can place heavier pressure on your savings once retirement begins.

Retirees have felt the strain of higher prices over the past year. Even though inflation has eased somewhat, persistent increases in essentials such as healthcare, utilities, and groceries can still throw off a retirement budget. Once you stop collecting a paycheck and begin living on a fixed income or mostly on Social Security and Medicare, everyday expenses can become much more difficult to manage.

That reality makes standard retirement targets harder to pin down. Financial advisers often recommend replacing at least 80% of your pre-retirement income, and some surveys place the amount needed to retire comfortably at $1.46 million. But the right number ultimately depends on where your money goes.

While there are plenty of categories you may spend less on in retirement, others can rise sharply. Below are nine areas where retirees are likely to pay more, along with ways to help control those costs.