Save as much as you can now by contributing to your workplace retirement plan – a good starting place is to save at least at the level of the employer match, if one is offered, remember it’s free money. The best part is that your contributions have the potential to grow on a tax-deferred basis.

Aim to eventually save at least 10 percent to 15 percent of your pretax salary. You don’t need to do this all at once. Try increasing your savings rate a bit at a time – for example, an extra two percent a year. If you are regularly increasing it at the same time every year – perhaps on your birthday, at the New Year, or when you get a raise, you won’t notice this in your paycheck. A small increase in savings rate won’t make a huge difference in your take-home pay, but it may make a huge difference in how much you save down the road.

Thanks to online banking and mobile financial apps, it’s never been easier to see where your money is going. These tools can help you see if you’re spending more than you thought on discretionary items, such as clothing or eating out. Once you identify discretionary spending habits, direct some of this “found” money to your retirement savings.