There is something quietly unnerving about looking at the same numbers on your bank statement and realising they don’t stretch quite as far as they used to. The bills haven’t changed much in format, but the weekly shop feels heavier on the purse. A tank of fuel, a direct debit, a short notice from the council, all carry the faint thud of something just beyond comfort. It’s not about extravagance. It’s about enough. And for many people in the UK turning sixty, “enough” has started to feel like a moving target. 

Part of the problem is structural. The cost of living has risen sharply in recent years, while income for many older adults has stayed fixed. The state pension, increased through the triple lock, still hovers just below what most would consider a liveable income. Those relying on it alone are often forced into tough decisions. Heat or food. Travel or treats. A birthday card posted second class because the stamp has quietly become a luxury. 

And then there’s the tax. The personal allowance has been frozen since 2021, and is set to remain so until at least 2028. That means more pensioners than ever are finding themselves paying income tax, sometimes for the first time, simply because inflation has nudged their modest income above the threshold. It can feel like a trap. You save, you plan, you adjust, and still the rules shift around you. 

Private pensions don’t always bridge the gap. Many people in their sixties were part of the generation caught between changing systems, too late for generous final salary schemes, too early for the auto-enrolment pensions that younger workers now receive. Even those with savings may be wary of drawing too much, too soon, unsure how long the money needs to last. And if you’ve had a patchy working life, or time out for caregiving or illness, the shortfall can feel particularly acute. 

Some have returned to work. Others never left. Many are juggling part-time roles, freelance gigs, or side projects, not necessarily for the joy of it, though that’s a bonus, but because the numbers say they must. For some, that works well. For others, energy, health, or caring responsibilities make it harder to sustain. 

There’s pride at stake, too. Few people want to talk openly about financial strain, especially if they’d hoped this stage of life would bring ease or reward. But behind closed doors, the worries are real. And shared more widely than many imagine. 

So what helps? 

Sometimes it starts with acknowledging the shift, not with shame, but with pragmatism. Revisiting spending. Finding small economies without slipping into scarcity. Reaching out for advice, whether from Age UK, Citizens Advice, or trusted charities like Independent Age. There are also useful tools online now, benefits checkers, pension tracing services, energy-saving grants, all worth exploring, even if it feels uncomfortable to do so at first. 

Some people set new rituals. Weekly cash envelopes to manage food shopping. Second-hand finds that feel like wins rather than compromises. Swapping meals with friends rather than eating out. For others, it’s about mindset. Reframing retirement not as a time of plenty, but as a slower season. One that still holds joy, beauty, generosity, just in a different currency. 

And amid the concern, there is also resilience. The kind that comes from experience. People who raised families on tight budgets. Who navigated redundancy, illness, divorce, recession. People who know how to stretch a stew, or fix a leaky tap, or find value in a day that costs nothing. 

The numbers may not add up the way they once did. But the people behind them are still resourceful, still wise, still quietly working out how to live well, not despite the challenge, but within it.