Saving early and often really makes a difference!

I just did a back of the envelope calculation that showed that if I had saved the maximum I could have in my 401k for the past 15 years (even when I was only earning $30,000 per year) I would now have about $201,425 saved for retirement as opposed to the $89,420 that I currently have. The $201k amount does not even include possible employer matches! That is a very depressing eye opener for me. The only thing I can do now is to maximize from here on out and increase my savings any way that I can. I currently save 11% in my 401k and $100 per month in my Roth. I have a $510 car payment for the next 24 months that is my main obstacle to saving more. I remember several years ago there was an ad on TV that had a tag line of “How are you spending your retirement” and showed people spending on new cars and other material things that would inhibit them from saving in their 401k accounts. I am literally counting the months until I free myself from the car payment.