In order to increase your savings and contributions to your retirement fund if you can practice just a few of these ways to save money you can add substantially to your retirement fund. If you are already retired following even some of these suggestions will increase the money you will have at the end of each week.

1. Open a home-equity line of credit and use it to pay off any credit card debt. Home-equity interest rates are far less than those of credit cards. 
2. Save all your change and take it to the bank every other month. More often if it turns out to be a large amount. 
3. Buy regular gas as opposed to premium as most cars do not require premium fuel. 
4. Set your thermostat a little lower in the winter and higher in the summer. Only a few degrees will save you 10% or more on your utility bills . Note: you can purchase a "setback" thermostat at a hardware store for $100 or less. This thermostat can automatically adjust the heat or cooling in your house, condo or apartment. 
5. Carefully check or have a friend check your phone bills to make sure you are not being charged for services or equipment you don't use or should not have. Combine your communications bills to a single company to save money. Consider using a cell phone, if you have one, for all you LD calls.
6. Purchase second-hand or executive driven cars. The cost savings is substantial and if you purchase from a reputable dealer or have the car thoroughly checked by a mechanic prior to purchase you should be able to save a great deal of money. 
7. Cut back on your entertainment; particularly on eating out at expensive restaurants. The money saved can be substantial over a period of time.
8. If you smoke, stop. The increased cost of cigarettes makes stopping smoking a big savings. 
9. Purchased generic or store brand substitutes for brand name items. Over several years time the savings can be a great deal more than you would imagine. 
10. If you gamble more than small amounts stop. You are gambling your future security. 

To give you an idea of the longevity you can expect, this information from MetLife may surprise you. Today a person who reaches 65 has a life expectancy of 85 but the odds that he/she will live beyond 85 are 50%. The likelihood that one member of a 65 year old couple living to age 97 is 25%. In view of these surprising statistics it is more important than ever to plan to not outlive your savings.

The rule of thumb is that you'll need 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement income. Of course this varies substantially depending on special needs and where you plan to retire.

Americans are becoming concerned they will outlive their retirement savings and are making the decision to postpone retirement or continue to work part-time or in temporary jobs after they retire. The Savings Calculator walks you through the steps needed to reach your retirement goals. It also helps you determine how much you can save. http://moneycentral.msn.com/Investor/calcs/n_savapp/main.asp. If you increase your employment income after retirement it would be much easier to make ends meet.

In looking over your assets, as a general rule, the value of your home (check its approximate value http://www.domania.com/ will often represent your largest single source.. Many retirees have paid off their homes and either owe nothing or have a very small mortgage. This is fine if you have no need of funds, but if you are short of cash the equity in your home is a cost effective way to generate cash.

If you are not interested in selling you can also re-mortgage. The key here is to go to a legitimate bank or mortgage company and get the best possible rate. If you do not need a major amount of cash you can get a low interest line of credit using your home as collateral or get a second mortgage if you already have a first. Generally speaking it is a good idea to borrow against your home and pay off any credit card debt which is almost always at a much higher interest rate.

The U.S. Treasury sells two fixed income securities that compensate for inflation.

1. The Treasury Inflation-Protected Security or TIPS
2. I-bond (savings bonds)

The income generated from these investments is comparatively low, but they both guarantee your capital will not be lost to inflation.
Here are some resources to help you make these decisions. https://www.fidelity.com/ http://www.axaonline.com/ http://www.wachoviainvestment.com/

Many seniors about to retire and even those who have just begun their retirement years are concerned about outliving their financial resources. They are also in the process of budgeting for the years to come. Here is some information that should prove helpful in assessing how your assets will provide for you in the years to come.

At what age do you plan to retire? Many overestimate how long they will be working and saving for retirement. Check where you stand. Go to: http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/retirementplanner/retirementplanner.jsp fill in your age, desired retirement age, current income & expected income needed when you retire and the site will give you projected answers.