Episode 58: If You Retired Today, What Would You Keep — or Change — in Your Lifestyle?

Published March 9, 2026

Retirement isn’t just about numbers. It’s about lifestyle.

In this episode, Darren Devine, Financial Planner with Sun Life and President of Devine & Associates, explores how retirement planning should begin with clarity around lifestyle — not just account balances.

Rather than focusing only on “how much is enough,” this episode encourages Canadians to think about:
→The daily routines they value most
→Travel, hobbies, or family time they want more of
→Expenses that might decrease — or increase — in retirement
→Housing, transportation, and healthcare considerations
→What financial flexibility really means in real life

Key takeaways: Retirement planning works best when it reflects how you actually want to live.
Understanding what you would keep — and what you would change — can help transform abstract savings goals into a clear, meaningful plan.

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Related Episodes

To help build a strong retirement lifestyle check out these past Money Monday episodes:

Episode 56: What Will Your Paycheque Be in Retirement in 2026?
Connects lifestyle to predictable income.
Episode 29: Keys to a Successful and Secure Retirement
Broad framework around retirement planning.
Episode 52: Do You Have a Written Plan — or Just Good Intentions?
Reinforces that lifestyle clarity needs a documented strategy.
Episode 49: New Year, New Budget — How Retirees Can Help Beat “Creeping Costs”
Helps connect spending habits with retirement readiness.

Darren Devine, CFP®, CLU®

Financial Planner, Sun Life
President of Devine and Associates Financial Services Inc.

If you retired today, what would you keep in your life—and what would you happily leave behind?

Hello, and welcome to Money Monday, where we help simplify your financial journey.
I'm Darren Devine, Financial Planner with Sun Life and President of Devine & Associates. I’ve been helping families across Ontario plan for and enjoy retirement for over 20 years.

I like to ask Clients a simple question:

If work stopped tomorrow, what stays… and what goes?

Maybe you’d keep slow mornings with coffee, time with the grandkids, your weekly golf game, or volunteering.

And you’d gladly change the long commute, the back-to-back meetings, or the pressure to always be “on.”

That little thought experiment does something powerful:
It turns retirement from a vague idea into a real lifestyle you can actually plan around.

Once you know what you’d keep and what you’d change, we can start to ask:

  • What does this lifestyle actually cost month to month?
  • Do you have the income sources—RRIFs, pensions, CPP/OAS, TFSAs—to support it?
  • Are there “non-negotiables” we need to protect, like travel or helping family?
  • And what trade-offs would you be willing to make if life throws a curveball?

You don’t have to have all the answers—just an honest picture of the life you want. The numbers, the tax planning, the income strategy… that’s where a financial planner comes in.

If you’re curious what your “retire today” lifestyle would look like on paper, that’s a conversation we’d be happy to start.

Thanks for tuning into Money Monday. Don’t forget to like and comment for more episodes filled with tips to help make your financial journey a breeze. Until next time, I'm Darren Devine, and you can always talk to us today at DevineAndAssociates.ca!

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