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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Personal Finance / Retirement Investing
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Author: richinmd   😊 😞
Number: of 1281 
Subject: Re: Zweig article/30-year Returns
Date: 09/11/25 4:25 PM
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I can see spending:

1.5K/month on insurance (car, homeowners, health, etc.)
0.5K utilities (electric, gas, etc)
0.5K groceries and gas
0.5K medical

That is $3K without any home repairs, eating out, entertainment, travel, clothes, car repairs/registration, taxes.

Any couple doing it under $6K is doing things very efficiently.

I think somewhere around $8K is more realistic.

I know others are making do with less but they must have a small house, grow some of their food, have a single car, minimum insurance, etc.
We aren't big spenders with clothes, jewelry, cars, etc. And we have been doing well with various restaurant email programs to save a bunch.

Fortunately despite the spending and a conservative portfolio, the spending hasn't caused it to go down over the couple of years of retirement.

Rich
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This community has written 1,207 posts about Retirement Investing. The article-length ones it recommended most:
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(nearly) year one of retirement has been good · 11 recs · 2026
Buying Treasuries Via Vanguard · 10 recs · 2023
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