How much $ do you think you need in your 401k?

I don't think most of us have a choice! Wages haven't kept up with inflation, making it more difficult to save for retirement, and companies no longer provide pensions or lifetime health insurance.  I'm not sure I know anyone who is in a position to retire, other than autoworkers and government workers.  I'm sure this won't be popular, but it kind of irks me to be contributing to the pensions of government workers when I can't afford to contribute to my own 401k

Our money is in different places. My husband and I are both 50. We've been putting money into teachers' pensions since our very first paychecks. We've also been putting money into 403Bs. I'd like to think Social Security will be something that we'll be able to collect at some point. We have money in IRAs. We have savings. We own two homes and will likely sell the one in town when we retire. After my husband's parents passed away almost 15 years ago and he inherited money we got involved with a financial planner to help us do the best work with it. He seems to think we're on track to be able to retire and live a pretty comfortable lifestyle. Our oldest daughter is in college right now. We've told her that it is vital for her to start planning for retirement as soon as she starts earning a real paycheck. We will make that appointment for her to get it all set up. I'm glad I had a pension plan in place immediately, but I wish I would have started the 403b when I was 22 rather than 26.

Retirement calculator says: I'll be eating Friskies wet canned cat food and collecting soda cans out of the recycling bins for extra money.

The amount you have to save to live even a mediocre retirement is insane.

Makes me think that "Add to baby's retirement fund" should be an option on baby shower gift registries.

We met with a financial planner, because we were asking exactly these kinds of questions. The answer is different for everyone.

We are aiming to have a nest egg that will allow us to live comfortably on 4% of it annually.

Yeah I am guessing the same here as well. I stayed home and worked from home but it was mainly because we needed someone home - DH traveled extensively and there's no familyl around to pick up the gap in a person at home. I did well for a while but then lost a lot of income. But I really to be honest didn't think of the 401K aspect of working from home as a subcontractor. 17 years I could have put in that I didn't, I could shoot myself. DH had a bit of money put aside that was in trust from his grandmother but his father took it all, so the last 5 years we've just been trying to regain our savings and build. But now DD goes to college. I really feel like we need some sort of miracle here as far as financial stability and I can't help but feel awful about it, just trying to keep a stable home for the kids has put us in this situation. So yeah from the age of 50 (now) until I die I guess I'll be working to help DD and DS with college and to build up our retirement. Fun.

I am retired, do have a pension, and have yet to
Touch any of my other savings, alrhough I am told that in a few years I will be required to make withdrawals.

I work for a government agency and have the retirement fund as well as a 401k. At 62 I'll be able to retire and retain 100% of my income at time of retirement as well as having 100% vested medical. And hopefully, even have some social security.

I never really thought about saving for retirement untilI had DS. He was 3 when I went to work for the state.

While the job is good, government work is drone-like a lot of the time and the policies can be nuts, the future security has been amazing.