Normally, people pay all their bills after their paycheck comes in. Then they pay for the fun stuff they want. There is no “left over” or “excess” funds that can then go to a retirement account or for long term savings.
You have nothing left over for yourself. You toil and strain to bring home a paycheck and then don’t keep any for yourself.
The 10% that is recommended in The Richest Man in Babylon is more than the average American saves. Following that advice would therefore improve one’s financial status.
At some point, I realized I needed to boost my savings and contribute to a taxable account. As my income grew and my student loans were paid off, I found it easy to divert more money into my taxable accounts.
I decide my own “paycheck.” That is what gets transferred to my checking account. All the rest goes for savings and investing. My “paycheck” in my checking account is for my routine expenses and short term wants.
I decide I need to “earn” a gross income of about $10,000 per month. That is more than twice the median income so we won’t be scraping by on a subsistence living.