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Americans may worry about saving for retirement, but when they look at their spending habits, cutting back on items is no small task. The fourth annual Allstate "Retirement Reality Check" survey shows that, regardless of age, education, location or income, men and women are not on the same page when it comes to scaling back on their lifestyle spending to save for retirement.

The Allstate survey, which tracks Americans' attitudes toward, and savings for, retirement, surprisingly defied stereotypes when it came to how each gender, and also, generation, would reduce the amount of money they spend on items such as clothing and car expenses.

According to the survey, women were more likely than men to admit they could cut clothing expenses (20 percent of women survey respondents versus 5 percent of male respondents) to save more for retirement. In addition, men were more likely than women to say they could reduce spending on cars (14 percent of male survey respondents versus 4 percent of female respondents).

Men Vs. Women: Drawing the Line on Cutting Back

And in fact, when asked if they would be motivated to cut back in order to save $20 a week, survey respondents were more open-minded to the idea. But they drew the line at asking their spouses to cut back.

"Whether Americans think they know what their spouse wants, or are in the minority and have actually talked to each other about their expectations, now might be the time to revisit the 'how are we going to spend our retirement years and how will we get there financially'," discussion, said Casey Sylla, president, Allstate Financial. "If people are having problems initiating that discussion, seeking out a non-biased mediator in the form of a financial professional could be a wise financial and communication strategy."

When asked to cut back to save $20 a week themselves, men and women were remarkably similar:

For example, 42 percent of women and 36 percent of men said they'd be very likely to reduce impulse spending if they had to save $20 a week. But only 3 percent of women and 5 percent of men said they think their spouse wastes money with impulse spending.

Women were more likely than men to suggest the other could cut spending on entertainment (13 percent of women versus 4 percent of male respondents). But men were more likely than women to believe the other could spend less on clothing (14 percent of men versus 2 percent of women surveyed).

But when asked to speak for themselves about what they'd cut if they had to save more, the genders were remarkably similar.

Reducing car expenses, by delaying a purchase or buying a cheaper model, was cited by 39 percent of women and 34 percent of men. And 34 percent of both genders said they could eat out less often.

Members of "Generation X" (born between 1965 and 1978) were most likely to say they could cut back on dining out. That expense was cited by 21 percent of Gen-X, compared with 15 percent of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and 13 percent of the "Silent Generation," (born before 1946).

And 10 percent of Gen-Xers were willing to cut back on cell phones or cable television, compared with 9 percent of Baby Boomers and 5 percent of Silents.

"By taking a close look at expenses, people may be able to identify small sacrifices - like a latte or new pair of shoes - that over the long run, can help them save more for retirement," advises Sylla.

New Cars and Fashions or Fashioning a Fun Retirement?

The survey showed that 52 percent of respondents look forward to retirement with apprehension or dread. In addition, 50 percent of respondents noted they worry about not having enough money during retirement.

At the same time, most respondents admitted they would not consider cutting luxury spending unless pressed to do so.

For example, when asked what they could give up or cut back on without too much hardship, 18 percent of respondents cited entertainment -- this ranked as the highest non-essential item respondents reportedly could "do without" in order to save more for retirement. The following chart includes other items survey respondents ranked they could cut back on in order to save more for retirement:

 Items they could give up or cut back on without

                 too much hardship

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Entertainment                                  18%

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Nothing/Cannot Cut Back                        17%

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Dining Out                                     16%

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Clothing Expenditures                          13%

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Car Expenses                                    9%

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Cell Phone or Cable Television                  8%

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Vacations                                       6%

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Smoking/Cigarettes                              5%

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Housing Expenses                                5%

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Groceries                                       4%

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Hobbies/Recreational Activities                 4%

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Impulse Buying                                  3%

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"The bottom line is not only cutting back on certain expenses, but also having the discipline on an ongoing basis to take these savings and invest them in a retirement savings program so that those funds will be there when needed," said Sylla.

Mathew Greenwald, Ph.D., president of Mathew Greenwald & Associates, the firm that conducted the "Retirement Reality Check" survey, said these findings reflect a troubling pattern of contradictory attitudes.

"On the one hand, Americans admit they're nervous about having enough money for retirement, but on the other, they say they're pretty confident about their ability to save and invest," Greenwald said.

"People should stop and think about what they want in retirement, discuss with their spouse how best to achieve those goals, then establish a plan to make that happen," Greenwald added. "Too many people apparently are hoping that things will somehow just work out, and that isn't a realistic approach. Cutting back and saving more every month is a good place to start."

Allstate created the fourth annual Allstate "Retirement Reality Check" survey in conjunction with Mathew Greenwald & Associates. Using a random digit dialing methodology, Greenwald & Associates polled 1,604 people born between 1946 and 1978, with household incomes of $35,000 or more. Retirees were accepted with incomes of at least $20,000. The margin of error (at the 95 percent confidence level) for the total number of respondents in this study is +/-2.5 percent, +/-3.8 percent for information specific to Gen Xers, +/-4.5 percent for Baby Boomers, and +/-5.0 for Silent Generation.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate(R)" slogan, Allstate helps individuals in more than 16 million households protect what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through more than 12,900 exclusive agencies and financial specialists in the U.S. and Canada.

Customers can access Allstate products and services through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate(R). Encompass(SM) and Deerbrook(R) Insurance brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent agents. Allstate Financial Group provides life insurance, annuity, retirement, banking and investment products through distribution channels that include Allstate agencies, independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers.

Source: Business Wire