An IRA when I could early in my career, and have put the max in every year for the last 2 or 3 years. I think I’m doing everything right... and when I look at my combined 401k and IRA balances, it’s still lower than the recommended balance relative to income for my age bracket despite following all the advice and having a job that pays well. I’m not sure how people are expected to save up enough to hit those targets.
The good news is that I currently qualify for a $127/month pensions, so at least I’ve got that going for me.