To My 26-Year-Old Friends (and those a wee bit older and younger)

You need to read this article. It's about how you can have a million dollars socked away by retirement by saving for only one year. Pretty impressive, if you can make the lifestyle adjustment.

Even at 26, we still feel like we are just starting out in life, but, as the article says, this is absolutely the prime time to start saving money. It will grow SO MUCH over time. Think about this: if you save the money you would have spent on a week-long vacation in Cancun this summer, by the time you retire, that money could BUY A SUMMER HOME in Cancun.

I'm not saying to save ALL your money and live like a hermit, but wouldn't you rather be able to quit working in 40 years entirely and just have FUN for the rest of your life? Those are the kind of things a lot of us 26-yr-olds don't (want to) think about. You don't want to have to have a job when you're 60 do you?? Just saying.

A few easy ways I save (and I know this is a reiteration of a previous post, but it bears repeating):

Every time I sell something on Etsy, I transfer that money directly into my savings account. It's "free" money. I won't miss it.

When I get a bonus at work, it goes right into the savings account. Again, it's extra, so I won't miss it.

If I resist my urge to buy something I really don't need (like an expensive dinner out), I take the money I would have spent and transfer it to my savings account. I normally would have spent it, so I still take it out of my checking account. But now it goes into savings, and I still have it, AND I'm earning interest on it.

Obviously, this is just a savings account. I'm a long way from maxing out my 401(k) contributions or even starting an IRA. But I am thinking about it and starting to put long-term practices into place.

Just sayin.