Finding money to sock away in your IRA, or in another retirement account, can be a problem. The answer, if it exists—and it almost always does—usually lies in lifestyle choices.

You must save first and avoid spending all your money. You are bombarded by live-large marketing messages. Can you resist them?

For example, you may need to avoid the lure of expensive autos and stop avoiding the math that proves it is more economical to make repairs on a car you own for a while.

Examine your lifestyle to see where you are sabotaging your ability to retire in the distant future. Refresh your memory of the power of compound interest, then seek to maximize your retirement savings.

Be diligent about retirement now, and you will not panic about it later.

Source: UTEAP FrontLine Employee (February 2015)