Exit Strategy Quit Today Readiness Score A Little Longer
⚠️ Estimates only, not financial advice. Talk to a licensed professional before making retirement decisions.

What will you actually spend in retirement?

Most people can't answer this — for today, let alone retirement. Fill in what you spend now (national averages are shown as a starting reference), adjust each category for retirement, and get a real number.

Today, per year
$0
Estimated retirement, per year
$0
Difference
$0
Category
Today ($/mo)
Retirement %
Retirement ($/mo)
Total / month
$0
$0

How the defaults work

  • The grey placeholder in each "Today" box is the 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey national average for that category — a reference point, not a target. Type over it with your own number.
  • BLS publishes "Housing" as one bundled figure covering shelter, utilities, and more. Rent/mortgage and utilities here are split out from that bundle using BLS's own published sub-category proportions, so they're a reasonable estimate, not a separately-published headline number — marked "est." rather than "avg" for that reason. Internet/cell phone and home/auto insurance vary too widely by provider and location for a meaningful national reference, so those are left blank for you to fill in.
  • The "Retirement %" is a starting assumption for how that category typically changes once you stop working (for example, commuting costs usually disappear, healthcare and travel often rise). Every one of these is editable — they're a starting point, not a rule.
  • Retirement savings contributions default to 0%, since Quit Today already treats your account contributions separately — this budget is about your living expenses.
Use this number in Quit Today → Use it in What If I Worked a Little Longer? →

About this calculator

Why this exists.

Every retirement calculator, including Quit Today, needs one number most people have never actually calculated: what they spend, or will spend, per year. This tool exists to build that number honestly, category by category, using real national averages as a reference point rather than asking you to guess a total out of thin air.

It's built alongside Quit Today, the Retirement Readiness Score, and What If I Worked a Little Longer? as part of a small family of retirement-planning tools.

Who built this

Exit Strategy Media.

Disclaimer

Please read before treating this as more than a planning starting point.

This calculator is provided for estimation and general informational purposes only. It is not financial, investment, tax, retirement, or legal advice, and it does not take the place of a licensed professional who can review your complete financial picture.

The default "Today" figures are national averages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey and will not match your actual spending, location, household size, or lifestyle. The retirement percentage adjustments are general planning assumptions, not predictions, and every household's retirement spending pattern is different.

Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any retirement or spending decision. This tool and its creators are not responsible for decisions made using it, and provide no guarantee of accuracy or suitability for your situation.

All data you enter is processed in your browser only; see the Privacy Policy for details.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 19, 2026

This is a starting template, not legal advice. Replace bracketed placeholders with your real business details and have it reviewed by an attorney before publishing, especially before enabling Google AdSense or any analytics.

What this policy covers

This Privacy Policy explains how Exit Strategy Media ("we," "us") handles information when you use this Service at exitstrategy.today.

Information you enter

The budget figures you type in are processed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. They are not transmitted to, or stored on, our servers. If you use "Remember my numbers on this device," that data is saved only in your browser's local storage and never leaves your device.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, we may automatically collect standard technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, and pages visited, through server logs and/or analytics tools such as Google Analytics.

Cookies and advertising

This site may use Google AdSense to display advertising. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.

Children's privacy

This Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.

Contact us

Questions about this policy can be sent to hello@exitstrategy.today.

Terms of Service

Last updated: September 19, 2026

This is a starting template, not legal advice. Replace bracketed placeholders and have it reviewed by an attorney before publishing.

Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using this Service at exitstrategy.today, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

Description of service

This Service is a free calculator that estimates a retirement budget from user-supplied current spending and adjustment percentages. It is provided "as is," for informational and estimation purposes only, and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. See our Disclaimer for details.

No professional relationship

Use of the Service does not create a financial advisory, fiduciary, or accountant-client relationship between you and Exit Strategy Media.

Accuracy of results

We make no warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any figure produced by the Service, including third-party reference data.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Exit Strategy Media and its owners, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of, or reliance on, the Service.

Advertising

The Service may display third-party advertising, including through Google AdSense. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the content of third-party advertisements.

Changes to the service or terms

We may modify or discontinue the Service, or update these Terms, at any time without notice.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to hello@exitstrategy.today.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or feedback on the model.

Reach us at hello@exitstrategy.today.