What's in a coffee?

I was reading an article yesterday that believed current estimates retirement amounts will need to be revised upwards in the coming years…by a lot.  Sadly this figure is never revised down, and as time goes on they seem to take on a fantastic quality. Will it take a million, 1.5, 3 million? 

It can be sobering, to put it lightly, to think about these figures. I think it may be better to focus on the smaller things.

Consider a weakness of mine, the Starbucks Frappachino. The difference between a small and large is $1.05.  Sure not that much, but when you consider many of us drink one each workday, over the course of the year it adds up. In the case of my frappachino it adds up to the tune of $273.

If one were to switch from a large to a small, and invest the difference, over 16 years and growing at 5%, they would have saved over $10,000. Not to mention the calories saved over that same time period equates to 261 lbs!

Now then nobody is retiring on $10,000. And this demonstration assumes a few variables.  But I think the general idea is clear, even the small things can make a big difference.

Start there.