Our 2026 Spending Plans

 Our 2026 Spending Plans

After 15 retirement years of living on a pretty conservative withdrawal rate of 2% for the first ten years, then 2.5% for the next five years, we are going full bore and pushing it, LOL, all the way to 2.75% beginning next year.

I wrote about this withdrawal rate increase a few weeks ago, but even then I still had reservations. However, after sitting with it for a bit, I'm now fully on board.

To be fair, this is precisely how I felt when we bumped from 2% to 2.5% in 2020. I was uncomfortable initially, however I did finally get on board.  

So here are our some of our more significant spending plans for 2026, which I am pretty happy and excited about. It's going to be a good year!

2026 Spending Plans

• Replace our home's 40 year old tile roof. We have had no issues since moving in, but we are aware the clock is ticking, so we'll get it done this coming spring. This is the last home project, after which we pretty much have a brand new house.

• Replace living room sofas. The ones in there currently are in excellent condition, however I have a budget line item for ongoing home refreshes, and this is the next-up refresh on the list. I'm looking for cleaner, more coastal lines than the current rolled arm and grommet-studded set.

• Remove two completely out of control Giant Birds of Paradise in the HOA area adjacent to our home, but which are under our control for decision making purposes. Once removed, our sight lines of the surrounding hills and ridgetops will open up nicely.

• Replace my husband's aging Toyota Prius hybrid with a Toyota Camry hybrid. The Prius, our first ever hybrid auto, has served it's purpose - we are now fully onboard with hybrid technology - but he/we are ready for a car with just a bit more interior room and comfort. Once purchased, we'll still be a nicely high mpg household, with my Rav4 averaging 41 mpg, and the new Camry estimated to average 51 mpg.

• Enjoy four cruises and two guided land tours -
• Early 2026 cruise through the Panama Canal, traveling east to west. In this direction we'll gain time as we move through each time zone, rather than losing it, a lesson we learned the hard way in 2015. We traveled west to east on our first Panama Canal cruise, and kept having to 'leap forward' as we traveled through the three time zones that stand between California and Florida.  
• Mid-summer cruise to Alaska with our younger daughter and her family, plus my father and aunt. This will be our third cruise to Alaska, but everyone else's first, which will allow us to act as their tour guides. Once finished with the cruise, my husband and I will hop a short flight over to Edmonton to embark on a 9 day guided land tour of some of Canada's majestic Alberta province interior, including Jasper, Banff, and Lake Louise.
• Late-summer cruise around the British Isles, which will include England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and N. Ireland. We'll end the cruise via London, where we will then pick up a guided land tour of the interior of the same countries.
• Early fall cruise up the Pacific Coast with my mother and sister-in-law. This will be our third time doing so, but the first time and first cruise for my mother and sister-in-law, so we will again act as tour guides while simultaneously enjoying their excitement.

And as an aside - our just completed weekend was wonderful and full - so full I'm literally too tired this morning to attempt to compile it into a standalone post. In a nutshell, we enjoyed a holiday boat parade, a holiday concert, a holiday play, several dine outs, and lots of lovely time with friends and family.

Looking forward to a good (but somewhat quieter!) day and week, and hope yours is same wherever you are.