I too think he just needs some reassurance that you will be ok with less money coming into the household. If he is like my DH he is supportive of whatever you do and doesn't want you to have to do without. A big change in finances can be harder on men because they feel that it is their role in a marriage to bring in the money. We made an agreement as to how much our budget can afford for my sewing and My DH is comfortable with that and happy to take me shopping. Not so long ago he doubled the amount when he saw that our finances could support it. It is not a lot, but it is plenty for me and what I want to do. He hardly ever buys anything for himself and that is an issue for me. Maybe a chat about how he sees the future going now that he is retired will open him up to talking about any real concerns he may have, if any. Hope this doesn't sound preachy, it wasn't meant that way. :)