<prompt> Human: I am about to start my career and after reading through this subreddit, I am excited to begin saving for my future. For the next four years, I will be making about 50k per year. After that, I can expect over 300k per year. Should I begin saving now by forcing myself to live within a much tighter budget and having less money to enjoy my mid 20s? Or should I give myself a little more money to spend on fun now, and then focus more on saving with a larger salary? Either way, I plan to set aside money for an emergency fund and I am lucky enough to not be facing any debt.  <response>: I think living based on what you have now is the smart choice. Life is full of surprises, unless there is some amazing guarantee you will be getting that money, I would act as if it wasnt coming to the extent possible. 