Maximize Retirement Savings With These Strategies Even While Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Living paycheck to paycheck is tough, but there are ways you can save for your future by bolstering your retirement savings. Here are three tips.

1. Get that Employer Match

The first step is to not leave free money from your employer on the table. Many employers will match your retirement contributions up to a certain percentage.

Let’s say your employer will match up to 3% of your retirement contributions. You put in 3% of your salary toward your retirement plan. Your employer puts in 3%, too. And just like that, you’ve doubled what’s in your account.

“If your employer offers a match, that’s one of the most powerful tools available for boosting your savings,” says Justin Pritchard, a certified financial planner at Approach Financial in Montrose, Colorado. “In many cases, you can essentially double your contribution, at least to a point. That’s virtually impossible to find elsewhere. A smart strategy is often to contribute at least as much as it takes to maximize your employer match, and then consider other uses for your funds if money is tight.”

2. Consider a Roth IRA

When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it’s smart to keep your financial options open. And to talk to a financial advisor who knows your particular situation and concerns.

“You may not have significant savings sitting around, and an emergency could be catastrophic. You might have to take on debt at high interest rates or make other sacrifices, possibly even ones that impact your health or safety,” Pritchard says.

Investing for retirement in a Roth individual retirement account (IRA) gives you the flexibility to make withdrawals if an emergency arises. (Note: You can only withdraw what you contributed, not what the funds earned. If you want to withdraw the earnings without penalty, you must be age 59½ or older and the account must have been open for at least five tax years.)

“A Roth IRA might be a good choice,” Pritchard says. “Obviously, we’d prefer to see that money stay invested, and depending on what your investments do, you might have losses in your accounts, so this isn’t exactly the same as an emergency fund. But it might help you address two concerns at once.”

3. Automate Your Contributions

Make saving for retirement easier by automating your contributions, with regular transfers from your checking account to your retirement account. If you set it up this way, the funds will be deposited into your retirement account before you even see it.

For example, you could set up a regular deposit of $15 per week. After six months, raise it to $20 per week. You may find that your budget can handle this amount. If not, decrease it. The goal is to have a system in place with regular, automated transfers.

“Automated savings takes all of the effort out of saving, which improves your chances of success,” Pritchard says.

Once you begin saving for retirement, you’ll need to sit back and be patient. Growing your retirement savings takes time.

The Bottom Line

You can maximize your retirement savings while living paycheck to paycheck. It’s difficult, but it can be done. If your employer matches retirement plan contributions, make sure to contribute enough to snag that match. Automate your retirement savings with regular deposits. And if you’re looking for flexibility, consider a Roth IRA. Above all, just try to get started. Small deposits add up, and over time, thanks to the power of compounding your nest egg will grow.