A Financial Advisor’s Guide for Active Retirees and WA Educators in Spokane, Deer Park, and Chewelah
Picture a retired teacher sitting across from me, reviewing his financial plan. We’d just gone through the Monte Carlo simulations, the withdrawal strategies, the tax projections. Everything looked good. Better than good, actually.
Then he said something I’ll never forget: “So you’re telling me we’re… done? Like, we actually made it?”
There was wonder in his voice. Also confusion. And if I’m being honest, a little fear.
After 35 years of teaching in Washington schools, constantly worrying about whether they’d have enough, always thinking “just a little bit more” – he’d crossed a threshold he wasn’t sure he believed in anymore.
He had enough. More than enough. And he had absolutely no idea what to do with that information.
This is the moment most retirees aren’t prepared for: when “enough” stops being a number you’re chasing and becomes a reality you’re living from.
How do I know when I have “enough” for retirement?
This is one of the most common questions I hear from people approaching retirement in Spokane, Deer Park, and Chewelah. And the answer has two parts:
Enough is a number: It’s when your guaranteed income sources (like a WA educator’s PERS or TRS pension) plus your retirement savings can sustainably fund your desired lifestyle for the rest of your life, adjusted for inflation, accounting for healthcare costs, and stress-tested against market downturns.
Enough is also a feeling: It’s when you can finally believe that the number is real. When you trust the plan. When you stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.
For decades, “enough” lived in the future. It was a goal. A target. Something you worked toward but never quite reached.
You set a retirement savings goal – let’s say $500,000. Then you hit it and realized it probably needs to be $750,000. Then $1 million. The target keeps moving because life keeps changing and fear keeps whispering “what if?”
Then one day, usually in the months before or after retirement, the math becomes undeniable. You run the numbers with a professional. You look at your pension (for WA educators), your Social Security projections, your investment accounts. You factor in your actual spending, not your worst-case-scenario fears.
And the numbers say: You’re fine. You have enough. You could actually spend more than you do and still be completely secure for the rest of your life.
That’s when enough becomes real. And that’s when things get interesting.
Why does having enough money feel uncomfortable?
You’d think realizing you have enough would feel purely liberating. It doesn’t.
For many retirees around Eastern Washington, it feels disorienting. Uncomfortable. Almost suspicious.
Why? Because your entire adult life has been organized around NOT having enough yet.
You’ve made decisions based on scarcity – necessary scarcity when you were building, but scarcity nonetheless. You’ve said no to things you wanted. You’ve delayed gratification. You’ve chosen the practical option over the preferred one. Almost always for a good reason: “We’re saving for retirement.”
That mindset served you brilliantly. It’s why you’re in good shape now. But it’s like a muscle you’ve been flexing for 30-40 years. You can’t just turn it off overnight.
Suddenly being told “you can afford this” feels strange. Wrong, almost. Your brain looks for the catch. Your emotions haven’t caught up to your financial reality.
Here’s what people tell me: “I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like someone’s going to tell me there was a mistake in the calculations and actually we’re not okay.”
What’s the hardest transition high savers face in retirement?
If you’re naturally a saver – and most people who reach retirement in good financial shape are – this transition is particularly challenging.
Saving has been your superpower. It’s probably part of your identity. You’re the responsible one. The prudent one. The one who thinks long-term and makes sacrifices for future security.
That’s honorable. But it also means that shifting from accumulation to distribution feels like abandoning your core values.
Spending money you’ve saved – even spending it on exactly the things you saved it for – can feel irresponsible. Reckless. Like you’re betraying your younger self who worked so hard to build this security.
I see this especially with educators retiring from Washington schools. You’ve spent careers being financially thoughtful, often living on less than you could have earned in other professions. The idea of “loosening up” feels foreign to your whole operating system.
But here’s the truth: stewardship in retirement looks different than stewardship in your working years.
In your working years, stewardship meant saving. In retirement, stewardship means spending wisely on the life you actually want to live.
You’re not abandoning your values. You’re adapting them to a new season.
What changes when growth isn’t the goal anymore?
For decades, you measured progress by growth. Your account balance went up. Your net worth increased. You hit new milestones. Growth was success.
In retirement, growth might still happen – and that’s great – but it’s no longer the primary goal. Now the goal is sustainability. Distribution. Turning those accumulated assets into the life you envisioned.
This shift is more profound than it sounds.
When growth was the goal, you could always feel like you were making progress. Every paycheck you saved, every raise you banked instead of spending, every bonus you invested – these were wins you could track.
In retirement, success looks different. It’s not about the accounts growing. It’s about whether you’re actually living well. Whether you’re sleeping peacefully. Whether you’re enjoying your time with family. Whether you’re spending on things that matter to you without constant anxiety.
That’s harder to quantify. You can’t check your “living abundantly” balance the way you could check your investment balance. It requires a different kind of awareness, a different set of measurements.
The moment “enough” becomes real is when you accept this shift. When you stop measuring success by accumulation and start measuring it by alignment – are my resources aligned with my values? Am I using what I have to build the life I actually want?
How do you overcome the fear that you’ll run out of money in retirement?
Even after you’ve done the math, even after you know intellectually that you have enough, fear doesn’t just disappear.
The what-ifs still whisper. What if there’s another 2008? What if I live to 100? What if one of us needs expensive long-term care? What if something happens to one of the kids and they need help?
These aren’t irrational fears. They’re real possibilities that deserve real planning. But there’s a difference between prudent planning and paralyzing anxiety.
Prudent planning says: Let’s build a comprehensive strategy that accounts for healthcare costs, includes long-term care insurance or self-funding strategies, creates tax efficiency, and maintains appropriate risk management. Let’s stress-test the plan against various scenarios. Let’s review it regularly and adjust as needed.
Note: Insurance products and services are subject to availability and individual eligibility. This article is for general educational purposes and does not constitute specific insurance advice.
Paralyzing anxiety says: No amount is ever enough because something terrible might happen, so we can’t enjoy anything now.
The transition to accepting “enough” is about moving from anxiety to wise planning. It’s about addressing real risks without letting fear steal your present.
How does understanding your taxes change what “enough” means?
Here in Washington State, we don’t have state income tax – that’s good news. But your federal tax situation in retirement can be complex, especially for educators coordinating PERS or TRS pensions with Social Security and investment withdrawals.
One thing that makes “enough” finally real for many people is understanding their actual tax liability in retirement compared to what they imagined it would be.
Many retirees discover they’re in a lower tax bracket than they thought. Or they learn that strategic Roth conversions during early retirement years can dramatically reduce their lifetime tax burden. Or they realize that qualified charitable distributions from their IRA can satisfy their charitable giving while reducing their taxable income.
These aren’t just theoretical tax savings. They’re real dollars that change your spending capacity. Understanding your true after-tax income often reveals that you have more spending power than you realized.
Note: This article provides general information about taxes and should not be considered personalized tax advice. Always consult with a qualified tax professional before making tax-related decisions.
What freedom comes from accepting you have enough?
Once you’ve crossed this threshold – once enough has moved from aspiration to reality – something beautiful happens.
Decisions become clearer. You’re not making choices from fear anymore. You’re making them from clarity.
Do we take that trip to see the grandkids? The answer isn’t “we can’t afford it.” It’s “does this align with how we want to spend our time and resources?” That’s a much better question.
Do we help our adult daughter with her down payment? The answer isn’t automatically yes or no based on whether you “can afford it.” It’s about whether it serves your broader goals around family, generosity, and maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Do we finally tackle that home improvement project? It’s not about whether the money exists. It’s about whether it enhances your life in ways that matter to you.
This is the freedom on the other side of “enough” – not unlimited spending, but intentional decision-making based on values rather than fear.
Why do some people keep playing the accumulation game even after they’ve won?
Here’s a pattern I see often: people who cross the “enough” threshold but keep acting like they haven’t.
They’ve got $1.2 million saved for retirement. They’ve run the numbers. They know they’re secure. But they keep living like they’re still building. They still can’t spend. They still obsess over every market fluctuation. They still organize their entire lives around growing the number.
Why? Because the game of accumulation is familiar. It’s what they’re good at. It has clear rules and measurable outcomes.
Living from enough is less familiar. It requires different skills – discernment, intentionality, the willingness to enjoy what you’ve built. Those are harder skills to master.
If you find yourself here, it’s worth asking: Am I still playing the accumulation game because I haven’t accepted that enough is real? Or because I don’t know what else to organize my life around?
This isn’t a criticism. It’s an invitation to reflect. The skills that got you here are admirable. But they might not be the skills that help you actually enjoy living abundantly.
How does “enough” change throughout retirement?
One thing I’ve learned: “enough” isn’t static. It evolves through retirement.
In your early 60s, when you’re still active and healthy, enough needs to cover travel, adventures, helping family, pursuing hobbies. You’re often spending more in these years, not less.
In your 70s, spending often naturally decreases. You’re not traveling as intensely. You’re more settled. Enough looks different.
In your 80s and beyond, healthcare costs may increase, but other spending usually continues to decline. Enough shifts again.
Understanding this arc helps you plan appropriately. It also helps you give yourself permission to spend more in those early, active years when the experiences mean the most.
This is where the travel hacking system I teach can be especially valuable – using travel rewards strategically so you can see the world without depleting your resources unnecessarily. It’s about making enough stretch further while still fully living. At Deep Creek Financial Planning it’s another tool we have in our toolbox.
What’s the shift from accumulation to stewardship?
The deepest shift that happens when enough becomes real is moving from an accumulation mindset to a stewardship mindset.
Accumulation asks: How do I get more?
Stewardship asks: How do I use what I have well?
Both are important questions, but they lead to very different daily decisions. Accumulation is always future-focused. Stewardship balances future security with present enjoyment.
Accumulation measures success by balance sheets. Stewardship measures success by whether your resources are aligned with your values and enabling the life you want.
For those who come from faith backgrounds – and I know many in our Spokane-area community do – this language of stewardship often resonates deeply. It’s not about hoarding or squandering. It’s about wise, grateful use of resources that honors both your needs and your values.
Some of my clients use our faith-based investment portfolio options to align their money with their values even in how it’s invested. That’s stewardship at every level – not just how you spend, but how you hold and grow what you have.
What permission do you need to give yourself?
If you’ve realized you have enough but still can’t bring yourself to act like it, you might be waiting for permission.
Permission to enjoy what you’ve built. Permission to spend on experiences that matter. Permission to stop worrying constantly. Permission to believe the good news that you’re actually okay.
I can’t give you that permission – it has to come from within. But I can tell you what I see in retirees who successfully make this transition:
They give themselves permission to trust the planning they’ve done. They recognize that reasonable preparation is enough – perfection isn’t possible. They choose to believe the numbers instead of the anxiety. And they embrace a both/and approach: both financially responsible AND able to enjoy their resources.
It’s not reckless to trust solid planning. It’s not irresponsible to spend money on things that matter to you. It’s not foolish to enjoy the security you worked decades to build.
This is what enough really means: having the resources to live well, the wisdom to use them thoughtfully, and the freedom to enjoy both.
Moving Forward: What now?
If you’re in that space where the numbers say you have enough but you’re struggling to believe it or act on it, that’s completely normal. Give yourself time and grace.
This transition is profound. You’re not just changing your financial strategy. You’re changing your relationship with security, with purpose, with how you measure a life well-lived.
Talk about it with your spouse if you’re married. Many couples find that they’re in different places on this journey, and those conversations – while sometimes challenging – are essential.
Get professional guidance that addresses both the numbers and the emotions. A comprehensive financial plan doesn’t just show you that you have enough. It helps you understand what to do with that knowledge.
And be patient with yourself. After decades of training yourself to save, accumulate, and prepare, learning to receive, steward, and enjoy takes time.
Ready to Explore What “Enough” Means for You?
If you’re a Washington State educator approaching retirement or an active retiree trying to navigate the transition from accumulation to actually living from enough, I’d be honored to help you.
At Deep Creek Financial Planning, we help you connect the dots between your family’s goals and strategic financial planning – including the emotional and spiritual dimensions of this transition.
Schedule a 30-minute Discovery Call: 509-241-8306
Learn more: DeepCreekFinancialPlanning.com
Serving active retirees and WA educators throughout Spokane, Deer Park, and Chewelah.
To your abundant life,
Caleb Stapp
Coming in April: “The Tax Return Is Not the Whole Story”
What tax documents miss about real financial health – and the questions retirees forget to ask.
Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA\SIPC. Deep Creek Financial Planning is not a registered broker-dealer or investment advisor.
This article provides general information about retirement planning and should not be considered personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. Before making any financial decisions, consult with qualified professionals who understand your specific situation. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Client stories and quotes are compilations and not from any one person.
