I'm often struck by these lyrics to a song by the late, great John Lennon: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." That's great advice -- but it is possible to do both. That is, live and enjoy life now while making plans for retirement. The moves you make now will certainly pay off when you want to enjoy life then, in retirement. 

It may seem like a long way off when you are in your 30s, but the earlier you start planning for retirement, the more flexibility you will actually have to retire early -- if you are so inclined to do so. And the earlier you start, the less of a financial impact it will have on your daily life now, as opposed to playing catch-up later. 

In fact, if you are in your 30s and are planning to retire in 2050, just doing these two simple things can have a huge impact on your savings without taking much out of your paycheck now. 

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Source Fool.com