Having a 401k is one of the smartest things you can do to safeguard your future. You’ll be able to sleep better at night once you start seeing that balance build up because you won’t be as worried about being broke during retirement.

But starting from scratch can seem daunting, especially if money is tight to begin with. Here are some ways to take the sting out of bulking up your 401k.

Sign Up For an Automatic Yearly Increase

If left to our own devices, many of us wouldn’t increase our percentage rate of how much we contribute to our 401ks every year. But if it is done automatically for us every year, many of us won’t jump through the hoops we need to adjust it back to a lower percentage either. Many of us tend to get a bit lazy when it comes to paperwork or visiting the human resources department to make the switch.

So by signing up for an automatic annual increase by 1 percent of a year, you’ll be doing a lot to beef up your contributions and that amount of money missing from a paycheck isn’t hard to adjust to – you may not even notice it.

Play With the Numbers

One of the easiest ways to convince yourself to save more is by using online calculators to figure out how much money you could have by retirement if you stick with your investments. Calculate how much you’ll have if you only invest 5 percent of your salary. Then calculate how much you’ll have if you save 10 percent.

Chances are, once you see the much larger retirement savings that contributing 10 percent can net you, you’ll do everything in your power to find ways to save that much each year.

Save Your Raises

Are you expecting a nice raise this year? Be smart and put that money to work for you by investing it in your 401k.

If you get a 3 percent raise, you can bump up your 401 k by 3 percent and make a huge difference in your future. And you won’t even miss the money – it’ll just be like you didn’t even get a raise to begin with.

Figure Out What Your Retirement Dreams Are

Sometimes having a clear vision of what you want your life to be like can motivate you to start saving for it. Try to envision what you’d like to do in retirement – even if it is still 30 or 40 years away.

If you decide you want to buy a boat and sail around the world, you’ll know you have to ramp up those savings if you’re only contributing a mere 3 percent to your 401 k right now.

Go For a Higher Risk Investment Plan

If you’re 5 or even 10 years away from retirement, a high-risk option may not be right for you. You don’t want to get too aggressive because you could suffer portfolio losses you wouldn’t have time to make up.

But if you’re younger, you should take a deep breath and assume a little risk. Bigger risk means the potential for greater returns. That can make a big difference to your bottom line decades later.