One of the best gifts that we can bestow upon our young people is the importance of saving early.  Consider the following illustration: 

Assuming a hypothetical 8% rate of return, Mandy will have over $183,000 MORE to spend in retirement than Tommy, even though Tommy has cumulatively saved over $75,000 MORE.

The point of this example is to encourage you to save NOW, not scare you into thinking that it is too late to make a difference. 

"The single most important thing you can do to achieve financial security is to begin a
regular savings program and to start it as early as possible." 

- Burton Gordon Malkiel, The Random Walk Guide to Investing:
Ten Rules for Financial Success