It’s one of the most common sentiments we hear: I wish I’d saved more.

Boy, who doesn’t!

It is doubtful that anyone has ever regretted saving too much. Saving makes so much sense, so we are too few of us saving and why are so many of us not saving enough?

It is so clear that to have money in the future, it needs to be saved now.

How much you save, how often and for how long will determine how much you have in the future. Those decisions actually are much more important than how much you earn on those savings.

So, why is it so difficult to do, when it is so easy to talk about and agree with?

Life gets in the way – braces, college, vacation, bigger house. They are true, and they are valid. But there are simple ways to start saving and stay motivated.

Here’s how to start:

• Set aside half of any raise or bonus: Deposit that portion of each paycheck automatically into a retirement plan. This is a no-brainer since you’re putting away the money before your lifestyle has not expanded to incorporate the added spending money. It still feels like a raise, and you don’t miss the money you never had.

• Find something that motivates you. Retirement can seem like such a distant dream, but here are a couple of more immediate reasons to motivate yourself to save:

  • Save money so you can say “NO.” If you have a decent nest egg, and a job you really don’t like, you can tell the boss “no.” It’s difficult to do when you have a goose egg instead of a nest egg but much easier to do when you have an account statement in your pocket.

  • Put a visual image where you will see it often: It could be a dozen photos of places you want to travel, a photo of a kid in a cap and gown, or a picture that depicts the life you will live when you can afford to work at a different career or working for yourself. Your dream may mean making less income but using an income from your nest egg to supplement your pay and meet the bills. The key here is to find a motivation that is real today — real, felt and not just thought

Each person has such a dream or goal, but it is not usually voiced or even recognized. We can help you identify and clarify it. Once it is clear, you can hold it and use it to help you to save.