A retirement savings plan is essential to your future financial security. Where to put the money is not the question. There are numerous choices of where to put your retirement savings. Finding the money to put in the plan is the concern. Here's how to start one on your own, FAST!

The old-school advice, Pay Yourself First, is without doubt, the best financial advice you'll ever get. If you don't pay you, who will? How do you do that? Here's how.

From every dollar that comes in the door, take 10% off the top and put it in an account that you have designated for your retirement savings plan. If you have debt and lots of past due bills, this is probably a scary idea. My advice? JUST DO IT! Making the firm commitment to yourself to operate on 90% of your income is half the battle. As time passes, you'll find you have adjusted to operating on less money.

The biggest benefit of this self created retirement savings plan is the peace of mind you'll have just knowing the money is there and that you are building your own financial security. You will find that you actually stop worrying about money. You will actually start sleeping better at night just knowing the cash is there.

Do you think the whole 10% is too steep a step to start with? Take a look at your income from this point of view. Look at all of the suppliers you pay out of your income every week and get the idea that those vendors are all on your personal payroll. Is there anyone you can terminate and not really miss? Is there anyone you can cut back from full time to part time status? Just look at the invoices that arrive every week, and/or those automatic deductions from your credit and bank accounts and you'll see exactly who is on your 'payroll'.

Here is an example. I was working with the owner of a business who was having a hard time cutting company expenses by 10% to set aside in his retirement savings plan. We looked at every expense from the viewpoint that the supplier was on his 'payroll.'

Suddenly we were starting to play a game of firing suppliers like the extra $9.95 per month third-party fraud protection on each of his credit cards. We cancelled the expiring contract on some advertising that wasn't bringing in much new business and found a more cost effecrtive alternative and saved $280 a month. We consolidated part of his debt to a low interest loan and saved over $300 in interest charges every month. We sold a lease-purchase piece of equipment he didn't need and paid off the balance. That gained him $239 a month. We even switched banks and moved his accounts to one with no monthly account charges and got the old bank off his payroll to the tune of $25 a month. Now he has a nice pension fund building up each month.

Why is it so important to be in control of the flow of money? It is the energy and life blood of a business. It is necessary to channel it through the income producing areas first to keep it running smoothly. Everything runs smoother when plenty ofcash is available. And that includes you, the owner of the company. Our Money Management Software guides you towards making the best possible decisions about how to use your income to make more money.

Just by changing your viewpoint about how you use your business' income, you can make a fun game of building your retirement savings plan. Be the Donald Trump of your own company. Take a really close look at who you are paying out of your hard earned cash flow. Don't be afraid to say 'You're Fired!' and pay yourself 10% first by stashing that cash in your own retirement savings plan.