When you (a federal employee) get dressed in the morning for work, do you choose clothing from your own closet or do you saunter into the neighbor’s house and find an outfit from their closet? That is what is meant by – Cut Your Coat According to Your Own Size.
Setting your goals, putting a plan in place and formulating your budget must all be based on your individual and unique circumstances. You must measure your coat (your resources) to fit your budget (your expenses) in good times, so that in bad times, it will still fit.
When it comes to federal retirement it is imperative to always be careful with spending and saving in economically difficult times. If you are careful in economically difficult times, you must be even more so in economically good times. Putting away more when times are good prepares you for staying on course when times become difficult and challenging.  Such as maximizing your TSP contributions when you can – taking full advantage of any employer match, so when times get hard, you have already built up a good habit and can either live with the continued savings or reduce your savings a bit but maintain the tax-deferred investments you have squirreled away.
You are the only you that you will get in this life. Let your circumstances be the pattern by which your measurements are taken not someone else’s. You don’t know how or why your neighbors have two brand new cars and and a Recreational Vehicle. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t care why they have those things. They did not involve you in the process to acquire those things and you should not involve yourself in the process to match their acquisitions.
Try on your coat often for a test drive to make sure it still fits.  Have a federal retirement ‘benefit analysis’ performed as you get closer to retirement to ensure that your calculations are correct and that you have a good handle on your federal retirement income and benefits.  The closer you get to retirement, let your fitting regiment become a routine part of your plans to retire well.
P.S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
