Drew 2: Building a Habit of Saving

14 Jan 2026 · 2 min

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In this two‑minute episode of the "Drew 2" series, host Andrew Postell highlights the retirement‑savings shortfall revealed by the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, which shows that people aged 45‑54 have an average of $115,000 saved—an amount likely insufficient for a comfortable retirement, especially since many Americans lack any retirement account at all. Postell argues that the key to avoiding a meager nest egg is to develop a consistent savings habit rather than focusing on large sums initially. He proposes starting with a modest $5 saved from each paycheck for three months, then gradually increasing the contribution (e.g., to $7 or $10) as the habit solidifies. This incremental approach is presented as a realistic, low‑pressure way to build a lifelong savings routine that can scale with future raises or promotions, ultimately improving retirement outcomes.

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Hey now, Drew 2 time. I'm Andrew Postell, your host of the Drew 2, where we talk about finances, real estate, and some retirement in 2 minutes or less. So today I want to speak about your retirement plan and creating a habit of savings. So in the recent Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finance, they showed that the people who are aged between 45 and 54 on average have $115,000 saved for retirement. And if you don't know, if you retire with $115,000, you're gonna have a very tough retirement. Admittedly, the survey said this is just for people who have retirement accounts. So there's literally thousands of people across the country who don't even have a retirement plan at all. So for us, we should create a habit of savings. How do we do that exactly? This sounds daunting, right? It can be, but we're going to do it in really small increments, creating a habit. $5 a paycheck for the next 3 months. This is what I want you to target and save. $5 a paycheck for 3 months. You might be saying, Andrew, this sounds so small. I'm creating the habit. The habit here is more important than the amount. After 3 months, I want you to increase it to $7, maybe $10. Let's get crazy, right? But we're gonna have a habit of savings so that way later in our career when we get promoted or get a raise, we can save even more. But for right now, just create the habit so that way we can prevent having such a small amount for retirement later. This is it. 2 minutes or less, right? I'm Andrew Postell. Thanks for watching today's Drew 2.