The key to retirement?

Save more and spend less.  It may seem obvious and simple, yet many of us fail to live by these important principles, resulting in insufficient retirement savings.  Recently published in the Wall Street Journal, Kelly Greene's "The Key to Retirement: Spend Less, Save More" presents staggering statistics:

79% of 1,008 U.S. adults surveyed in February said that they have committed a money mistake – and of those, 26% reported not having saved enough for retirement as their No. 1 problem.

20% of workers saying they need to save between 20 and 29% of their income to achieve a financially secure retirement, and 23% saying they need to save 30% – or more.

Job uncertainty and making ends meet were the most pressing financial issues faced by both workers and retirees.

So how do you catch up or get ahead while you still have the opportunity?  Follow those two simple principles: save more and spend less.  Adjust your budget to live more modestly and bulk up contributions to your retirement accounts.  You'll be glad you did.