• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Boomers in Action
  • Marcia’s Retirement Kitchen
  • Social Security
  • For Women
  • Resources
  • Home
Boomer Retirement Briefs™

Boomer Retirement Briefs™

How Boomers Are Reshaping and Redefining "Retirement"

  • In the News
  • Meet Marcia
  • Contact Us

Shoe Shopping in Retirement? You Betcha!

June 16, 2016 by Marcia Mantell

photo filled with pairs of shoes stacked on shelves

Let’s face it. If there is anything women know and love, it’s our shoes. We know of the excesses of the rich and famous. So many have closets full of expensive Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos. But many of us “regular” gals have closets full of shoes too. One study calculated the average amount of money women spend on shoes  over a lifetime and it’s a lot. We buy somewhere around 268 pairs of shoes between the ages of 18 and 60.  That shopping habit costs us an average of $20,000! Clearly, we all know that shoes can really make the outfit.

Won’t you be shopping in retirement?

When you think about it, is there any reason you won’t be shopping for more shoes once you reach retirement? In fact, the answer is no. You’ll have more time on your hands. So, isn’t it reasonable to think that you’ll be doing more things and going more places?  Won’t you likely need more shoes (and many other items)?  And, it’s not just shoes that we’ll be buying.  

Retirement will also provide us with more time to shop for birthday gifts and plan parties for our family and friends. We might be buying more toys and crafts for our grandchildren.  If we take up new activities such as golf or yoga or boating, we’ll spend even more. Think about lessons, equipment, clothing, and yes…probably athletic shoes.

We need to plan for the price tags of our shopping sprees

red stilleto shoes

So it’s important to prepare for the reality of shopping throughout retirement. Traditional budget worksheets from financial companies don’t work well for how women spend.  Those planning tools are not woman-friendly. They are focused on maintenance items like upkeep on your house or car, taxes, and utilities.  Sure, these are all important items. And they certainly need to be included in every retirement plan.

But, women must also take the time to embrace and estimate their personal spending habits. The best way to do that is to define your “essential” (must have) and “discretionary” (nice-to-have) items. Those become the basis for figuring out your retirement income needs.

As you work on your plan, make sure your essential expenses are fully covered every year in retirement.  And you get to decide which expenses are essential.  Note that your discretionary items must be flexible. They may shift to future years based on certain needs, life events, and the economy. 

If you haven’t already, it’s time to sit down and make that list of essential versus discretionary expenses.  You may find this budget planning worksheet a good place to get started. Download your free copy.

Image of budget planning guide for women
Your Budget Planning Guide is a great place to start thinking about all you will do in retirement and how much it will cost.

We define our essential spending

Too often women’s “shopping” or “spending” is overlooked or dismissed in building a traditional retirement income plan.  Or, it’s considered discretionary spending.  

Yet, money for our essential expenses doesn’t change much once we reach retirement. Think about spending on shoes, sure. But it’s really about providing for our loved ones in big and small ways. And caring for families, friends, and the many connections we’ve made over the years.  It’s critical to factor the dollars to support these purchases into our retirement budgets.  And consider these expenses “essential.”

So, what do you have on your essential expense list?  It’s probably a good time to take a close look…  Then, let me know where you will be spending your money in retirement.

For more fun reading take a look at these:

  • The estimates for our shoe spending can be found in this article. Read in the Daily Mail Reporter, “A Nation of Shoe Addicts?”
  • What’s the Deal With Retirement Planning for Women?  In this thought-provoking, but non-traditional, fun approach to planning for a woman’s retirement, I guide women through the key questions they’ll need to answer before they will be prepared to retire.

 

Filed Under: For Women Tagged With: retirement planning, Women and money

Primary Sidebar

Manage Your View

Categories

Footer

Marcia’s Retirement Kitchen

Marcia's Retirement Kitchen

What’s Cookin’?

If your kitchen is anything like mine, it’s the place everyone gathers to talk about their day, share special moments, and ask important questions. And to see what’s cooking.

For me, there is a strong connection between preparing meals and planning retirement. Both need certain ingredients, recipes to follow, and getting the timing just right.

My motto to live by: If you can make a lasagna, you can create a plan for retirement.

Look for an invitation to join me at my kitchen table where retirement is always on the menu.

More coming soon…

Books by Marcia

Marcia Mantell of Boomer Retirement Briefs

Ready for Retirement?

Don’t forget that planning your retirement is not a weekend project. These books can help you get a good start. Order your copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

retirement planning for womenWhat’s the Deal with Retirement for Women?

What’s the Deal with Social Security For Women?

Search

About Boomer Retirement Briefs

Boomer Retirement Briefs Blog

Reinventing Retirement?

Boomer Retirement Briefs is where readers go for fun ideas and new ways of thinking about retirement.

As an author, speaker, and presenter, I meet so many interesting people at different stages of retirement. I am always fascinated with their innovative ideas and inspired approaches.

Flip through these blog posts and you’ll find:

  • Fun stories about real Boomers redesigning retirement;
  • Technical retirement stuff in plain language; and,
  • Lots of free resources to download and use.
Copyright © 2025 · Boomer Retirement Briefs · All rights reserved.