Hi, I'm Angela — and I'm planning my own retirement, out loud.

My mom worked for more than 40 years.

Like so many people, she worked, paid her bills, took care of her family and kept going.

She died at 71.

After spending more than four decades working and paying into Social Security, she only had about six years to collect it.

That changed the way I think about retirement.

Of course I want to prepare financially. I want to save. I want to pay off debt. I want to make good decisions.

But my mother's life reminds me that the goal can't simply be to work as long as possible and accumulate the biggest number possible.

"I want to be prepared to live, too."

I don't know how many healthy years I'll have after retirement. None of us do.

I want to make responsible decisions for my future without forgetting that time has value too.

One of my grandfathers was badly injured in an accident on a one-lane bridge.

His arm was severely injured, but he refused to have it amputated. He survived the accident and lived for roughly another year. Eventually, a blood clot from that injured arm caused his death.

My grandmother was left behind.

She didn't drive. She wasn't accustomed to managing the finances.

And my grandfather didn't leave a will.

Suddenly the family was trying to figure everything out while also dealing with grief.

When I was younger, I didn't understand all the financial lessons in that story.

Now I do.

A will matters. Beneficiaries matter. Knowing where the accounts are matters. Insurance matters. Having important information somewhere your spouse or children can actually find it matters.

"Planning can be one of the greatest gifts we give the people we love."

Planning for retirement isn't only about taking care of ourselves. Sometimes planning is one of the greatest gifts we can give the people we love.

My other grandfather taught me a completely different lesson.

He worked hard. He worked in the oilfield and farmed.

But work wasn't his entire life.

He would spend a month or two during the summer fly-fishing.

He grew vegetables and gave them away.

He rested. He prayed. He enjoyed his life.

He lived to 86.

The older I get, the more I appreciate what he showed me.

We spend so much time asking: "When can I retire?"

Maybe we also need to ask: "What am I retiring to?"

"What am I retiring TO?"

What do I want an ordinary Tuesday morning to look like when I don't have somewhere I have to be?

Maybe it's traveling. Maybe it's fishing. Maybe it's gardening. Maybe it's volunteering. Maybe it's spending more time with our children and grandchildren. Maybe it's starting something we've always wanted to try.

Or maybe it's simply sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and realizing we don't have to rush anywhere.

That's part of retirement planning too.

Now I'm the one in my 50s looking toward retirement.

And I don't have everything perfectly figured out.

I'm looking at my own debt. I'm looking at retirement accounts. I'm learning more about Social Security. I'm looking at pensions. I'm thinking about wills, beneficiaries, insurance and emergency savings. I'm trying to figure out how much we'll actually need every month.

And I'm asking myself what I want the next chapter of my life to look like.

That's really how this website came together. I started researching these things for myself. I made lists. I started creating worksheets. I looked for old accounts. I started paying closer attention to expenses. I asked questions.

"If I'm trying to figure all of this out, I can't possibly be the only one."

So I started sharing what I was learning.

I don't have all the answers.

I'm not here to tell you what stock to buy, exactly when you should claim Social Security, or make you feel bad because some chart says you should have a certain amount saved by your age.

I'm doing my own retirement homework too.

When I find something useful, I'll share it. When I learn how to find an old pension or 401(k), I'll show you where I looked. When I find a way to lower an expense, I'll share it. When I realize there's a question we should probably be asking ourselves, we'll talk about it.

And when I make mistakes or learn something I wish I'd known ten years ago, I'll share that too.

This isn't about having a perfect retirement plan. It's about getting started.

You don't have to figure out your entire retirement today. You just need to take the next step. And I'll be taking mine right alongside you.

I'm not a financial advisor, accountant, or attorney, and nothing here is personal financial advice. I'm a regular person doing her own retirement homework and passing along what I learn. Always check your own numbers and talk to a licensed professional before making big decisions.

Questions, corrections, or a pension story to share? Email angela.freedomlifestyle.com@gmail.com.