Budgeting HINTS FOR A BETTER RETIREMENT
Useful budgeting tips, ideas and suggestions to help you enjoy a long and prosperous retirement.
We are not affiliated with any financial products or funds. We provide free independent financial planning and retirement planning advice. You can Download our free retirement planning guide and learn how to quickly see if you will have enough money for the retirement you deserve.
Budgeting Help Articles
- Are you receiving your rates rebate?
- Latest Massey Expenditure Guidelines available
- Its getting Tough out there
- Inflation. What does it mean
- Driving your Dollars Further
- You need more $'s than ever
Latest Massey Expenditure Guidelines Available
The annual Retirement Expenditure Guidelines for 2025 have been published (October 2025) and are available from near the bottom of the Massey Research webpage.
These latest expenditure estimates are based on Stats Household Economic Survey (HES) completed in 2023, adjusted by inflation. They have now been updated into our free retirement planning spreadsheet and can be used to help generate your own financial plan for retirement. Or if you are already using our free planning spreadsheet and want to compare your costs to those identified in the report, the 2025 weekly costs in retirement are estimated in the following table:
These latest expenditure estimates are based on Stats Household Economic Survey (HES) completed in 2023, adjusted by inflation. They have now been updated into our free retirement planning spreadsheet and can be used to help generate your own financial plan for retirement. Or if you are already using our free planning spreadsheet and want to compare your costs to those identified in the report, the 2025 weekly costs in retirement are estimated in the following table:
Lifestyle | Single:
From |
To | Couple:
From |
To |
No Frills | $580 | $705 | $937 | $1,060 |
A few Choices | $772 | $791 | $1,243 | $1,780 |
Lots of Choices | $1,124 | $1,354 | $1,595 | $2,340 |
If you are already using our free Retirement Planning Spreadsheet, you can update these numbers on the Tables worksheet in Table 11 “NZ Retirement Estimate Guidelines”, or if you need an updated spreadsheet you can download a free copy of our retirement planning spreadsheet from our Downloads page.
You can use these numbers to compare your weekly spend (now and in retirement) with what other people spend per week.
Changes between the latest numbers and the previous numbers The report summarises the main changes between this and the previous report as:• The effect of inflation on expenditure for each of the groups was in the range 2.54% to 3.16% with only two groups having an effective inflation rate above the CPI rate of 2.70% for the same period• The key drivers for increased costs for superannuants for the twelve months ended 30th June 2025 were Food, Property rates and related services, Household energy, and Recreation and culture• The groups considered in this report are spending more than is received from NZ Superannuation, reflecting access to other income and/or savings.
Many other sites publish articles based on these numbers, but many miss reporting key comments made in the reports:• The groups considered in this report are spending more than is received from NZ Superannuation• ‘fear of running out’ (FORO) may lead to over-saving thereby reducing one’s quality of life, while in retirement it may cause under-spending even when sufficient funds are available. In their 2023/2024 report, they indicated that weekly expenditure costs reduced and that:• The reduction in expenditure levels for several household groups in the latest HES reflects that in practice, households adjust their spending as a result of rising prices and therefore avoid some of the inflationary impact.i.e. that retirees could not afford to spend more (i.e. keep up with inflation) and have had to cut back! Obviously, the majority of people surveyed in the HES, don’t have a financial plan for their retirement. Our Thoughts:Similar to our free spreadsheet, the report calculates the average difference between NZ Super and the average weekly spend, and identifies the average lump sum amount needed to fill this gap. They go on to suggest “Two main strategies to reduce the required lump sum are supplementing retirement income, such as by working part-time, or delaying retirement to shorten the time the lump sum needs to support.” We don’t believe these are good solutions: working part time or delaying your retirement are not strategies to have a long and enjoyable retirement. Needing to work as you don’t have enough money – is not being retired. If you agree, and want to retire with sufficient additional income to enjoy your retirement, you need a comprehensive retirement plan designed specifically for you and your financial situation. And you need that plan now – before you retire. If you do not have a plan, you need to download our free retirement planning guide and our free retirement planning spreadsheet. If you still have problems making ends meet, then the Massey report provides a breakdown of expenditure by budgeting category and item (e.g. Food, Food – Fruit and Vegetables, Food – poultry and fish etc.) to enable you to make wider comparisons against your own expenditure. If there are large differences, you don’t need to stop eating or doing things you enjoy. But you do need to understand why there are differences, and agree you are happy with your lifestyle choices and the impacts they may have on your future retirement.
Changes between the latest numbers and the previous numbers The report summarises the main changes between this and the previous report as:• The effect of inflation on expenditure for each of the groups was in the range 2.54% to 3.16% with only two groups having an effective inflation rate above the CPI rate of 2.70% for the same period• The key drivers for increased costs for superannuants for the twelve months ended 30th June 2025 were Food, Property rates and related services, Household energy, and Recreation and culture• The groups considered in this report are spending more than is received from NZ Superannuation, reflecting access to other income and/or savings.
Many other sites publish articles based on these numbers, but many miss reporting key comments made in the reports:• The groups considered in this report are spending more than is received from NZ Superannuation• ‘fear of running out’ (FORO) may lead to over-saving thereby reducing one’s quality of life, while in retirement it may cause under-spending even when sufficient funds are available. In their 2023/2024 report, they indicated that weekly expenditure costs reduced and that:• The reduction in expenditure levels for several household groups in the latest HES reflects that in practice, households adjust their spending as a result of rising prices and therefore avoid some of the inflationary impact.i.e. that retirees could not afford to spend more (i.e. keep up with inflation) and have had to cut back! Obviously, the majority of people surveyed in the HES, don’t have a financial plan for their retirement. Our Thoughts:Similar to our free spreadsheet, the report calculates the average difference between NZ Super and the average weekly spend, and identifies the average lump sum amount needed to fill this gap. They go on to suggest “Two main strategies to reduce the required lump sum are supplementing retirement income, such as by working part-time, or delaying retirement to shorten the time the lump sum needs to support.” We don’t believe these are good solutions: working part time or delaying your retirement are not strategies to have a long and enjoyable retirement. Needing to work as you don’t have enough money – is not being retired. If you agree, and want to retire with sufficient additional income to enjoy your retirement, you need a comprehensive retirement plan designed specifically for you and your financial situation. And you need that plan now – before you retire. If you do not have a plan, you need to download our free retirement planning guide and our free retirement planning spreadsheet. If you still have problems making ends meet, then the Massey report provides a breakdown of expenditure by budgeting category and item (e.g. Food, Food – Fruit and Vegetables, Food – poultry and fish etc.) to enable you to make wider comparisons against your own expenditure. If there are large differences, you don’t need to stop eating or doing things you enjoy. But you do need to understand why there are differences, and agree you are happy with your lifestyle choices and the impacts they may have on your future retirement.