Pay Yourself First
The simplest way to save for retirement is through automatic payroll deductions for a 401(k) plan, which you should be exploiting at least to the full amount needed to get any company match. These plans work magic in two ways. First, because your contributions are automatically deducted you never see the money and, in effect, you are paying yourself first — ahead of any bills. This method forces you to adjust your spending to what's left. Second, such regular contributions put into the market ensure that you will always be buying stocks whether they are high or low — but by holding the dollar amount steady you always buy more shares when they are low. It's also a good idea to pay yourself into non-work accounts too, so that you end up with money in a variety of tax-deferred, tax-free and taxable plans. Each of these will one day have benefits, and the range of accounts may come in handy if tax laws change much.