Sign up for a direct deposit

Contributions to your 401(k) plan are usually withheld from your paycheck right before you even get the chance to spend the money. This is probably the fastest way to add money into your account and reduce the temptation to skip a deposit.

You could be asked to select a percentage of your salary to contribute to the 401(k) plan. A 50-year-old worker that earned $100,000 will need to contribute 22.5% of pay to a 401(k) plan, to max out the account in 2023.

Even so, if you choose a savings percentage that will let you max out your account, and then get a mid-year raise, then you might need to decrease your savings rate, so you can avoid exceeding the 401(k) contribution limit.