<prompt> Human: Maybe Im short sighted because Im young, but if we are putting all our extra money in 401k, IRA etc, it seems like we cannot truly have a good life until we are retired? What about the 40 years in between? I am putting employee match into my 401k and 5500 a year into my Roth IRA. When I have extra money it is recommended that I put all of it into the 401k until I get to 18000 before I even consider doing anything else and then even that is 20-30 years for a good value. These are the impressions Ive gotten from this advice. Isnt it better to set a hard limit and use my money to enjoy my life now?  <response>: The main reason personal finance is important has nothing to do with retirement. Not having enough money from week to week month to month is probably one of the top 3 stresses in most peoples lives.Taking the time to develop the skills and knowledge to mitigate one of lifes biggest worries is well worth it, even if you plan on working until you die or are going to drop dead at 45. 