If you’re in your 20s or 30s with two incomes and no childcare bill, it can feel like retirement is a distant, future-you problem. You’re juggling careers, travel plans, maybe a mortgage or big-city rent, and there’s always some new experience tempting your money. The tricky part is that the years before 40 are when your decisions get multiplied by time, for better or worse. A few core retirement moves you make now can grow into a six-figure cushion later, while a long delay can quietly erase that advantage. The goal isn’t to live like a monk; it’s to pick the options that give future you choices instead of regrets.
