The Retirement Number We've Been Chasing Is Completely MADE UP!
- Jenny Blackmon
- Jun 6
- 4 min read
We've spent years chasing retirement numbers somebody else invented. The truth is your retirement isn't about hitting a magic number. It's about knowing your number.
The Retirement Number We've Been Chasing Is Complete Nonsense
Can we talk about the million-dollar retirement myth?
I'm tired of hearing it.
Every time retirement comes up, somebody throws out the same number.
A million dollars.
As if somebody climbed a mountain, came back down with stone tablets, and declared:
"Thou shalt have one million dollars before retiring."
Where did that even come from?
And more importantly... Why are we still believing it?
For years I thought I was behind. Maybe you do too.
Maybe you've looked at your retirement accounts and thought:
"Well, that's not enough."
Compared to who?
Based on what?
According to whom?
Because here's what I've learned.
The million-dollar target is useless if nobody tells you what your life actually costs.
Retirement Is Not A Number
Retirement is a lifestyle. That's it.
Not a bank balance. Not an account statement. Not a social media brag.
A lifestyle. And lifestyles cost different amounts.
My retirement won't look like yours. Yours won't look like your neighbor's.
Some people want RV travel.
Some want a beach house.
Some want to babysit grandchildren.
Some want to open a small business.
Some of us simply want to quit answering emails from people who were wearing diapers when we bought our first house.
We all want different things.
So why are we all chasing the same number?
What If You've Already Got More Than You Think?
Most people have no idea what they actually spend every month.
Not really.
They know roughly. They guess. They estimate. They round up.
Then they assume retirement requires some giant pile of money.
The first thing I did was sit down and figure out what it actually costs me to be me.
That was eye-opening.
Because there were expenses tied directly to work.
Commuting.
Work clothes.
Eating out.
Convenience spending.
Stress spending.
Let's talk about stress spending. Anybody else ever buy something simply because work annoyed them?
Just me?
Didn't think so.
Some expenses disappear in retirement.
Others show up.
But until you know what you're spending now, you're guessing about what you'll need later.
The Number That Actually Matters
Forget the million-dollar number for a minute.
What's your monthly number? That's the question.
How much does it take to keep your lights on?
Pay your bills?
Buy groceries?
Enjoy life?
Travel occasionally?
Spoil grandkids?
Spoil dogs?
Whatever your thing happens to be.
That number matters. Because once you know your monthly number, you can work backwards.
Now retirement becomes math instead of mystery.
Debt Is The Retirement Killer Nobody Wants To Talk About
You know what helps retirement more than chasing another hundred thousand dollars?
Getting rid of debt.
Seriously. Imagine retiring without a car payment. Without credit card debt. Without consumer debt eating away at your monthly income.
Every debt you eliminate lowers your retirement number.
That's a whole lot easier than trying to earn another quarter million dollars.
Retirement Doesn't Have To Be All Or Nothing
This was another lightbulb moment for me. Retirement isn't necessarily a full stop.
Many of us aren't going to retire the way our parents did.
We may choose hybrid retirement.
Part-time work.
Consulting.
Small businesses.
Content creation.
Pet sitting.
Selling things online.
The possibilities are endless.
The point is you don't necessarily need enough money to replace every dollar of income forever.
You may only need enough to create flexibility.
That changes the entire equation.
Stop Chasing Somebody Else's Goal
If there's one thing I want you to take away from this article, it's this:
Stop comparing your retirement to somebody else's.
Their life isn't your life.
Their goals aren't your goals.
Their number isn't your number.
Figure out what your life costs.
Figure out what you want your next chapter to look like.
Then build toward that.
Not some arbitrary number floating around on the internet.
The Bottom Line
Retirement isn't about becoming a millionaire.
It's about buying freedom.
Freedom to choose your schedule.
Freedom to choose your work.
Freedom to choose your priorities.
Freedom to stop doing things you no longer want to do.
That's the goal.
The number is just a tool to get there.
Ready To Find Your Number?
If this article did nothing else, I hope it convinced you of one thing:
You do not need to spend another day worrying about whether you'll ever reach some magic million-dollar target.
The question isn't whether you have enough.
The question is: enough for what?
Enough to live your life.
Enough to pay your bills.
Enough to enjoy your next chapter without staring at your bank account every five minutes.
Enough to sleep well at night.
That's why the first step isn't chasing a bigger retirement account.
The first step is figuring out exactly where you stand today.
Start With The Free Master Your Money Plan Workbook
If you don't currently have a written budget, this is where you begin.
The Master Your Money Plan Workbook helps you:
• Track where your money is actually going
• Identify spending leaks and forgotten subscriptions
• Calculate your true monthly living expenses
• Build a realistic foundation for retirement planning
• Stop guessing and start working with real numbers
Simply visit the Retirement Reality Resource Center, enter your email address, and I'll send you access to the entire library of free resources.
Ready For A Reality Check?
Most retirement advice starts with a giant savings goal.
I think that's backwards.
Before you worry about how much money you need, you need to understand what your life costs.
That's exactly why I created the Retirement Reality Check and Forget the Million Dollar Dream.
This guide helps you:
• Determine your personal retirement number
• Evaluate whether you're closer than you think
• Identify gaps before they become problems
• Understand how debt impacts retirement readiness
• Create a retirement plan based on your life instead of somebody else's formula
Because retirement isn't about becoming a millionaire.
It's about creating enough freedom to live life on your terms.
Grab the Retirement Reality Check: Forget the Million Dollar Dream here.
Stop chasing somebody else's number.
Find yours.
Then build your next chapter with confidence.
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