The Retiree Regret Most People Don't Notice Until It's Too Late

Retirees have a lot of financial balls in the air. They must find the right withdrawal strategy to meet their needs, all while managing routine expenses that seem to balloon thanks to inflation and other factors. The Nationwide Retirement Institute found in 2026 that 55% of recent retirees (classed as those who have made their workforce exit in the last five years) regret their retirement savings decisions. But spending regrets are also common, according to AARP. One that slides under the radar for far too long includes the small, accumulating expenses like fees paid for phone and television services, which are inundated with deals that often drive pricing volatility instead of managing it.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found in 2016 that 2007 marked the first year consumers spent more on cellular than on landline services. From there, annual spending continued to rise precipitously, up 58.4% per consumer unit from 2007 to 2014, when it landed at $963. A decade later, in 2024, JD Power reported that the average cell phone bill came out to $141 per month, or $1,692 annually, amounting to a 75.7% surge — or a repeating increase of nearly $73 per year over that 10-year period. Similar stories can be found with television services: JD Power reported that unbundled TV (cable and satellite) services cost an average of $121.86 in January 2025, while bundled packages sat at $187.99. And yet, some of the cheapest cell service and TV providers offer plans for a fraction of these prices.

Retirees live in drawdown mode, operating on a tighter budget than those in the workforce. Sure, someone in retirement can withdraw more to cover some additional purchases, but that funding only goes so far, and splurging whenever the mood strikes is a recipe for running out of money. Unnoticed service costs are particularly dangerous for retirees because many are less likely to shop around for better bargains, according to YouGov polling from 2023. Saving on these bills is often as simple as asking to lower the monthly rate or switching providers. Doing this early in your retirement and sticking with the practice can ultimately create a significant volume of savings — and eliminate future regrets.

For instance, at the current going rates, a retiree with cable and cell service on separate bills will pay an average of roughly $263 per month for the pair. That translates to $3,156 annually. Instead, Mint Mobile offers 20GB of data per month with unlimited talk and text for $25 per month, while Xfinity offers television for a starting price of $18 per month with no contract on TV-only packages. The combined cost is $516 for the year, slashing a full $2,640 off the average annual spend!