So glad I saw through the retirement scam in my early 20's. Didn't know the specifics at the time, but the trade-off never seemed worth it to me. A couple years into a 'professional' job and I knew that was no way to live. Why sacrifice your entire life on a gamble that you will be healthy enough (or even alive) to enjoy the last 5-10 years??

My college friends get more miserable and hopeless each year, despite 'successful' careers. They're totally resigned to the idea that adult life is supposed to be that way. It's a sad thing.

Self-sufficiency, gratifying work, and a relationship with God are the ways to happiness - not money.