<prompt> Human: I only really spend my money on necessities rent, groceries, insurance, etc. and dont go out that much, so contributing 18,000 pre tax a year wouldnt be the end of the world for me. My employer also matches 4 of my salary. Would this strategy be smart since Ill be taking advantage of the compounding effect, or a bit too excessive at my agesalary where Ill be better off allocating my money elsewhere?EDIT: No debt and have about 10k in my personal investment account  <response>: If you can afford it, very smart. Getting a solid balance in there early so it can grow over the next 40 years will leave you looking great for retirement.Dont neglect other things you need to focus on at this point in your life to do so, however. Make sure youve taken care of your needs on the short term - emergency fund, home down payment, possible kids - before earmarking every extra penny to your retirement. 