[traceroute66]

> I started putting some money away each month

To be honest, the positive of your story is less Vanguard, more this. You probably benefited more from old-fashioned compounding than Vanguard itself.

Too many people, sadly, don't put some money away each month.

They spend, and then they spend some more on credit, spending beyond their means.

Yes, of course, there will always be people who genuinely live paycheck to paycheck due to whatever reason.

But for people with a stable, reasonably well-paid job, its almost criminal not to put some money away each month.

[loire280]

Living below your means and saving is absolutely important, but the Vanguard-style index fund is what made the compounding you mention available to the general public. Without that investment vehicle, cash saved would lose value relative to inflation or be subject to a lot more risk, making retiring at a reasonable age much harder.