Should you pause retirement contributions to buy a home? If he stops making $2,000 in monthly 401(k) contributions, he could manage the mortgage, and hopes to increase retirement contributions in the future. Here's howWeldon, 30, lives in a high-cost part of the country and is thinking about pausing his 401(k) contributions temporarily to afford a home. For many Americans, pausing retirement savings could mean missing out on their only nest egg. If affording the mortgage requires skipping retirement contributions for years, it likely means you simply can't afford the home.