I found this reply in another thread and it really brought things into perspective for me. Hope it helps you too!
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First off, I think you should post a case study. Really go in depth on your income and spending. That helps everyone be able to see where you can try to cut back. Get into those nitty gritty details.
I'm a low earning MMMer (I make $15 an hour). I work full time, support myself, have no other money coming in, and nothing I own or have or use is subsidized. My budget is currently around $800 a month, but will be rising to around $1050 when my student loans come out of grace and due to a recent elective surgery (LASIK). Like you, I'm 30, and just finished college and an now ready to enter my career. Once I find a job in my field I will be making more than I am now, but that's at least half a year away, and I will never make what many many people on these forums make (large salaries aren't common for the type of public service job I'll be doing). However there are definitely some things working in my favor. I live in a small midwestern city with a low COL. Literally everything is cheap here. Although "public transportation" is something mythical, so driving a car 60 miles a day to and from work is a necessity.
I stay motivated because I don't directly compare my numbers to those of other people. Doing that can be disheartening, I understand that. How can I compare with someone who says their combined household income is $150,000 a year, and they save $75,000 of that? Well, I look at it from the other perspective. They may save $75,000, but they are also spending $75,000. How big of a stash do they need if they want to keep spending that much in retirement? Over $1.5 million! Compare that to my (soon to be increased) spending of about $13,000 a year. Give me 1/6th of what they need and I can cover my current bills. And if they're saving $75,000 a year, that means I only need to save $12,500. Which I actually save more than, since I manage just under a 50% savings rate.
The key is perspective, and to not directly compare yourself to other people. I am able to stay motivated because I know what I both want (in regards to current and future happiness) and need, both now and in retirement. And those goals, MY goals, are very achievable for me. I can't save a $2 million stash like some lawyer posting on Bogleheads, but then again, I don't need to.
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