Putting a few thousand dollars into a retirement fund in my 20s. Besides giving me a break on my taxes, my employer also matched the contribution. And then on

Putting a few thousand dollars into a retirement fund in my 20s. Besides giving me a break on my taxes, my employer also matched the contribution. And then on average a good fund doubles in value about every 10 years. (Do the math -- every $1,000 becomes $2,000, $4,000, $8,000, and then $16,000 before your retire.) Also, you can tap the money for health emergencies, education expenses, and even first-home purchases.