Maybe a change of perspective might help.....I'm not hating or anything like that,but you sound pretty negative about your health situation without an actual diagnosis.....
I lost my dad last year to a slow, painful deterioration of his health(Diabetes) and after being witness to that, there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep myself as healthy as possible......


Living is better than dying in my book anyway.....Just my .02

 

I don't know what all the fatalism is about, but if you don't like the amount you contribute, you can change it during the enrollment times. There is a substantial pre- withdrawal penalty if you decide to take money out.

What you can do to maximize your 401K with the minimum in contributions is to do whatever is required to get the matching from your employer. If they match the first $300, then deposit $300.

Another thing you can do is to borrow against the 401K. After you have several hundred thousand, you can borrow from the 401K to buy a house. You pay it back with interest, but that money goes to you, not a bank. The drawback is the money tied up into the loan isn't earning you any interest.

However, NOW is the time to start the 401K. You'll be happy it's there when you are older.