Most people also have to dip into savings to bridge the gap between what Social Security and pensions, if any, provide and what's needed to cover retirement expenses. At that point, the issue comes down to how much you can reasonably draw from your nest egg each year to close that gap. Generally, to avoid going through your savings too soon you'll want to limit your initial draw to about 4% of your savings and then increase that dollar amount for inflation each year (although, this 4% rule is a guideline, not a carved-in-stone commandment).
