Living as a dual-income couple in Seattle is... to be honest, every day feels like a marathon.

In the morning, the rain is drizzling, my hair is already a mess, and as soon as I grab a cup of coffee and head to work, my boss says, "Is today the project deadline?" My heart sinks. When I get home, my child runs to me shouting, "Mommy!" and my husband asks, "What's for dinner?"

In that moment, I suddenly think, "When am I going to take care of my retirement?"

But worrying alone won't change anything. So I've recently started my 'Future Fund Project' little by little.

The first step is to see where my money is leaking.

When I look at my credit card statement, it says 'Coffee $6, another coffee $5, and Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime...' I really am the queen of OTT. So I canceled a few unnecessary subscriptions and started making coffee at home, saving at least $100 a month.

Making such a change is the first step in building my future fund.

The second is to never miss out on the 'free money' offered by my company.

That's right, the 401(k) matching! If the company matches 5%, just putting in 5% of my salary means the company adds another 5%. This is practically a bonus. For an ordinary employee like me, there's no better benefit than this. Of course, the issue is that I need to work for a company that offers this.

The third is how to combat Seattle's notorious cost of living and inflation.

Honestly, the interest on savings accounts is pitiful. So I've been studying ETFs lately. If I automatically transfer money monthly into an ETF that tracks an index like the S&P 500, in 10 years, I'll be thinking, "I really did well." Afraid of the stock market? Just cut back on two cups of coffee a day and invest; that's the magic of compounding.

The fourth is that even though I really don't want to talk about money with my husband, we have to.

Setting a joint goal of 'let's save this much by when' turns saving money from a nagging battle into a shared mission. And honestly, if a couple dreams together about their retirement, it reduces conflicts.

The fifth is lifestyle habits. Eating out every weekend makes money disappear.

So we only eat out once a month and instead pack lunches for picnics in the park. The kids love it, and we save money! Switching to leasing an electric car has significantly reduced our fuel costs. Small savings accumulate to create great freedom later.

The sixth is to have an emergency fund separately!

If the car suddenly breaks down or the child gets sick, it can be a real shock. Keeping at least three months' worth of living expenses set aside brings peace of mind. This is more important than investing.

And finally, education costs for the kids. Honestly, student loans are scary. So I looked into the 529 plan. It has tax benefits, and later when our child goes to college, it will ease some worries.

In the end, the secret to preparing for retirement isn't grand. It's simply to start early and be consistent; that's all there is to it.

Even under Seattle's cloudy sky, let's send at least $50 to the future today.