After reading your book I totally changed my life. I’m a teacher and I’ll have a pension when I retire so I had not really thought much about supplementing my retirement funds. However, I live in California (land of overpriced everything). So I decided that I wanted to have my million by 60 (I’m 46 now). I didn’t stop going to Starbucks but I did change what I drink. Now I order a tea ($1.15 ) vs a grande latte ($3.35) for a savings of $2.20 a day. I catch the train to work instead of driving (savings of $175 monthly) and no new clothes except when absoutlely necessary (savings of $100-200 a month) and I cook (saving approximately $500-600 a month by not buying prepackaged and frozen foods and not eating out so much). I’ve started clipping coupons and washing my car myself (instead of paying $14.95 a week to wash my Volvo). In addition, I applied for numerous fellowships and scholarships (and received several of them that fund my Master’s degree and increase my income by an extra $4500 a year).

All in all, I’m now contributing $1,300 a month to a vanguard 403b plan (the max as I’m paid on a 10 month cycle). And I’m going to work part-time over the summer so that I can contribute $3,000 to a Roth IRA. I already have an emergency fund with 3 months salary in it. I chose three months because I’m a teacher and we are on a year to year contract, besides I’m tenured. I’m feeling great and thinking that my pension along with the 403b and Roth I’m starting I’ll be able to retire at 56 and possibly do something else. Thanks so much.