The Day The Paychecks Stop

SEE HERE It is never too early to start saving and frankly if you're deferring your savings until you can afford to save then you're already in deep trouble because that mind-set is a recipe for poverty now and in the future.

We live in a consumption oriented society, but the things consumed are transitory and you're going to live a long time and maybe a long time without regular income. So you need to save, and learn to invest what you save. My recommendation is no matter how much you think you need to spend all the money that you make you set aside at least 10% for investments you won't touch until retirement.

Learn about ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). Find financial advice that is integrity based not financial advisor self-interest based. Learn to diversify your investments and get started. Even only a little steadily invested grows towards that distant goal of retiring with enough income to support yourself. Given the catastrophic demographics of Social Security there's no reason to be terribly optimistic that that Ponzi scheme is going to even be there by the time you retire and if it is there's serious doubt whether it will yield enough income to help much. You have to plan to take care of yourself, so get started.