The plan I couldn't find, so I built it
I built RetireBlueprint Pro for my husband and me, because nothing out there fit our situation.
I'm a designer, and I genuinely can't stand spreadsheets that look bad or tacky — so I may have spent the last six months making this look nice enough to finally satisfy me. (All that tweaking probably drove my husband a little nuts; he'd have been perfectly happy with a plain spreadsheet.) But I'm stubborn like that. I didn't want to pay an advisor — I figured if I put my mind to it, I could learn to build something that just worked, every time.
And boy, have I learned. I've spent hundreds of hours scouring websites and videos and teaching myself everything from coding to formulas to a whole new vocabulary — but most importantly, making sure the math is solid, checked against reputable sources and industry standards. No, I'm not a financial advisor. But I believe this work holds up to serious scrutiny.
This is my blood, sweat, and tears — a pet project for our family that grew into something I'm proud of. It stress-tests your retirement against real market crashes, shows how much you can safely spend, and tells you honestly whether your money lasts.
To be clear, I'm not telling you to skip a financial planner — do what's right for you and your situation. If anything, use this tool to pre-plan, so you walk into that conversation knowing your numbers and able to talk intelligently with a planner. That alone can save you a lot of time and money. That's my two cents.
I'm sharing this now because if you're here, you're probably looking for the same thing I was. I truly hope my perfectionism pays off for you — and that it helps at least one other family feel a little more sure about what's ahead.