Saving at least 10% of your income is not optional. (Barring emergencies, but there are tools for that too) Automatic payments to investment accounts make the most sense to me, liquid accounts allow you to move it to other things easy enough. There is always the save for later in your amazon cart. There is a lot you can do to change your behavior without feeling like you are giving up something, such as a potluck with friends vs eating out. You can buy the wine and cook the food, just not pay restaurant prices. Save the eating out and the purchases to reward yourself for accomplishing a milestone that moves the needle forward. Also as a PS, if you don't have a getaway or entertainment saving plan, I'd suggest one, $200 a paycheck goes into one for me that can be used for vacations. Going on bigger more exotic getaways (not necessarily more expensive) can make forgoing eating out in between the big spendy experiences easier.