If you are like most people, you are probably sick-to-death of hearing about investing for the future. Granted that it is an annoying subject, but it is something that we dare not ignore. Like it or not retirement is coming and it is good to be prepared. No matter how many perks you have at your place of employment (assuming that you are employed), you can never have too many back up plans for the time when you seek to stop working. There is no such thing as "extra money"! We all will need as much as we can accumulate during our work life. We need to save as much as possible – starting right now.

What happens if you have a job that pays only a small amount of money? How are you supposed to accumulate wealth when there is not enough coming in your paycheck? There is hope; you may not get a king’s ransom at retirement, but there are things to do to help pay the bills. Here are a few ways that you can create a better retirement.

1) Save ten percent. Most of us have heard this one before, but how many people really save this amount? It is time to get serious about paying yourself first. Take ten percent of whatever you bring home each week (no matter how small this may be) and put it into a separate bank account or some other financial vehicle that accrues interest. We all understand that bank interest these days is a joke, but if you can get two cents per month in interest, it is better in your pocket than it is in the banker’s pocket. If you can save more than ten percent, by all means, do so.

2) Find something to cut out. Sit down with your expenses – all of them – to see what can be eliminated. Maybe making lunches at home and bringing them to work is a better way to save money than eating out in restaurants. Do you really need all those movies that you rent? Cut down a little. Learn to cook at home instead of ordering unhealthy food from the pizza parlor or ice cream store. We are on a mission here; we need to save every penny we can for retirement. Can we carpool to cut down on running the car every day? How about cutting down on useless snacks and beer?

3) Get the whole family involved. Everyone in the family benefits from saving money and preserving resources. Get a competition going at home to see who can save the most in a week’s time. Put up a chart on the refrigerator with everyone’s name and their accomplishments for the week. Kids will learn valuable lessons for the future. Let everyone find jobs to create new money as well as preserving what you can. Kids can shine shoes for the neighbors, cut lawns and bushes, wash cars, and carry groceries for the elderly. Not only do these things make a little money for the coffers, but the kids learn to be better citizens instead of rotting in front of the computer games. Let all family members contribute their ideas for saving; young people can come up with outstanding ideas.

4) Create some goals. Show the family that working and saving lead to something that is fun and/or educational. For example, decide on a trip to Sea World, or some other worthwhile trip, that will be the reward for a certain amount invested in a retirement account. Be sure, however, that the cost of the trip does not exceed the amount saved! We are looking to create a nest egg for the future. That means that we will not spend it today. One of the family’s goals could be to create better citizens. Try offering services to old age homes. Services could include reading to seniors, playing musical instruments in small concerts, talking to the elderly and listening to their stories. Most old age facilities have a budget for entertainment; offer these, and other services for a modest amount. Not only do the kids (and adults) make a few dollars, but also the rich heritage that resides in most senior citizens can make better citizens of us all. This is a win-win scenario.