In this episode of Intelligent Money Minute, we explore an often overlooked aspect of retirement planning: preparing emotionally, psychologically, and relationally for this significant life change. While financial readiness is crucial, it’s equally important to ensure that couples are prepared for the non-financial aspects of retirement, such as how they will spend their time and maintain their relationships.
The Importance of Non-Financial Preparation for Retirement
Retirement isn’t just about having enough money to live comfortably; it’s also about understanding how you’ll spend your time and how it will affect your relationships. We often help our clients prepare for the emotional and psychological shifts that accompany this new phase of life. Being mentally and emotionally prepared is just as vital as being financially secure.
During the podcast, we discussed an exercise we use to help couples visualize their future together. Recently, I worked with a couple where the wife had already retired, and the husband was about to retire. To help them align their expectations, I gave them a simple exercise: a weekly schedule divided into 28 time blocks, representing four segments—morning, noon, afternoon, and evening—across the seven days of the week.
The Benefits of This Simple Planning Tool
The couple was asked to fill in each time block with activities they envisioned for themselves during retirement. When they returned, they shared their plans with each other. The wife had filled her schedule with activities such as bridge games, church meetings, and social events. The husband, however, was surprised to find himself only included in two of her planned activities. This revelation led to an important discussion about how they would spend their time together and balance individual and shared activities.
This exercise is a powerful tool for sparking meaningful conversations about expectations and shared goals in retirement. It helps couples understand each other’s desires and plan for a fulfilling life together, beyond just the financial aspects.
If you’re preparing for retirement, consider trying this exercise with your partner. To make it easier, we’ve created a downloadable 28-block template that you can use to plan your activities and discuss your expectations. This practical tool is designed to help you think through how you want to spend your time and ensure that both partners’ needs are met.
More From Kathleen Rehl
Some of our most popular blogs are the financial scam series we posted on our website. We talk about how to emotionally heal after being financially scammed, how to help others who have been financially scammed, and 11 ways to protect yourself from being financially scammed. You can find all of those on our blog page.
Please be sure to subscribe to our podcasts as we will be interviewing Kathleen on an upcoming podcast where she explains how to simply write a legacy letter to your family and friends. You will not want to miss it. You can purchase Kathleen’s book here.  
Kathleen Rehl Bio
Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, CeFT® wrote the multi-award-winning book, Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial G...