[onewhippedpuppy]

My contribution is, job well done! Very few at 25 are actively saving for retirement. My wife and I got a late start, and we're still probably years ahead of many of our peers. As usual I thoroughly agree with Paul (Seahawk). Be realistic with your expectations and abilities, and reassess often. Personally I don't have the time to dedicate to being thorough with individual investments so I heavily utilize my 401k, Roth IRA, and mutual funds. We also aggressively avoid debt and are pushing hard to pay off our home (only debt) within the next 5 years.

My only unique contribution would be to also read or listen to Dave Ramsey, I have really benefited from his conservative, self sacrificing approach to financial management. I really embrace his philosophy of "live like no one else so you can live like no one else". Avoiding the temptations of our material society is a great first step towards long term wealth.