What people (myself included) lack is the discipline to save more + spend less, and the accounting skills + access to information required to make informed inve

What people (myself included) lack is the discipline to save more + spend less, and the accounting skills + access to information required to make informed investment decisions and to create/manage balanced portfolios. Assuming you aren't outright dirt poor, none of this requires serious discipline or accounting skills or even diversification. You can buy stocks in blue chip companies and set up a DRIP. Between the DRIP and stock splits, over time, your nest egg grows. People who want to invest often use tricks to make the money less accessible to themselves so that when they are feeling like accessing it and blowing it for some reason, there is a built in cooling off period. (A la the "put your credit cards in the freezer" type suggestions.) People who invest are people who choose to invest. You learn about investing by doing it and by reading relevant news publications, like the Wall Street Journal.