Even on a tight budget, you have ways to maximize your savings so you don’t come up short later on. One of the best things you can do is set up automatic contributions, says Filip Telibasa, a certified financial planner and founder of Benzina Wealth.

“With an IRA, schedule auto transfers from your bank account for the day after your paycheck hits and set up automatic investing in the IRA,” says Telibasa. “Now the whole process is automated, which is the key to staying disciplined over the long run.”