What is the one bill that you often forget to pay? You may be thinking that you pay all of your bills, but you are missing one.

You need to pay yourself.

The correct way to manage your finances has you building a greater net worth each year. You have more money this year than you did last year. However, many of us simply use every cent we have on new cars, clothes and things that don't last.

You are letting one bill go long overdue. It is the bill for your future. The longer you put off this bill, the more it will cost you in the long run. If you ignore it, you will eventually face paying big time. And not just in money.

You will gladly begin to pay off your debt. You will gladly take on more debt. But think about what you are really paying for. Are these items that you will have in 30 years from now? Your fun now is costing you a comfortable retirement later.

You can't count on Social Security or Medicare. They are probably not going to be around in 20 years. The only thing you can depend on is your savings.

You are the only one that can make it happen. You can give yourself and your spouse the greatest gift of all -- a comfortable and secure future. Or you can sabotage it. But you can't just ignore it anymore. Because I'm telling you that there is a better way.

Start by eliminating your debt. Every dollar you are paying in interest is taking hundreds of dollars away from your retirement. Think I'm just blowing it all out of proportion? Run a few online calculators to see 1) how long it will take you to get out of debt and 2) how long it will take you to save for retirement at your current pace. If you aren't saving anything and have no plans to do so, you are planning on working until you die. No getting sick, no rest, no breaks. Because there will be no money.

It is a challenge. Every financial decision you make now will affect you for years to come. That is why the way you spend your money is so very important. Pay off your debt, don't incur new debt and save aggressively for your retirement. In this day and age, it is common to work for thirty years and then live for thirty years in retirement. You may think that thirty years is a long time to save, but remember that thirty years is a long time to not have any money. Prepare for your future.

Simply keep in mind how great it would be to retire comfortably. You can do that if you start now. If you have thirty more years, then great. You have time to really build up your worth without sacrificing too terribly much. Just avoid the bad debt of credit cards and unwise auto purchases. If you only have ten or so years, then you are going to have to sacrifice, but it is still possible. The key?

Start right now. Pay yourself and your future.