This 41-year-old woman owes nearly $125,000 in debt and plans 'dying [in] my cubicle’ — here’s what you can do if you’re also unsure of when you can finally retire

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They say the best time to plant a tree was yesterday. One could say the same thing about saving for retirement.

But as the TikToker @my_secrets_untold explained in her viral video, that’s easier said than done. She described herself as a 41-year-old “broke single mom,” who sometimes lives off food stamps.

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“I have absolutely no savings for retirement,” she admitted. “I plan on dying [in] my cubicle.”

If you fall into this same category, there are things you can do to create a nest egg in a short amount of time.

Start investing

Personal finance celebrity Suze Orman encourages people to take advantage of compound interest, especially while young. She argues that if you start saving in your 20s, the power of compound interest will grow your nest egg exponentially by the time you hit retirement.

However, the Federal Reserve discovered that 28% of Americans haven’t done this. Much like @my_secrets_untold, they have no retirement savings.

The Federal Reserve doesn’t explain why these people don’t have retirement savings, but it may be because they don’t have enough money to put aside for retirement.

You can jumpstart your retirement fund by socking away small amounts of money in an automated investing account. For example, Acorns

connects to your bank accounts and automatically rounds up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing your spare change into a smart investment portfolio. This way, even the most essential spending translates to money saved for the future.

Sign up now and you can get a $20 bonus investment.

Figuring out when you want to retire and assessing your risk tolerance will help you better understand how to invest your money for long-term comfort and security.

Gold is a great alternative to protect and grow your retirement savings. The precious metal has remained relatively stable, unlike the U.S. dollar, which has lost 87% of its purchasing power since 1971.

One way to invest in precious metals that also provides significant tax advantages is with a gold IRA.  This self-directed retirement account can help you stabilize your finances by allowing you to invest directly in physical precious metals rather than stocks and bonds.

One of the country’s most trusted precious metals companies, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, Rosland Gold has helped thousands of clients protect their retirement with a gold IRA.

Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate — without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how

Pay off your debt

In her video, @my_secrets_untold disclosed that she owes $14,000 in credit card debt and $110,000 in student loans, totaling $124,000. Americans of all ages carry historic amounts of debt — and it doesn’t end in retirement.

The Center for Retirement Research discovered that 63% of U.S. households over 65 carry some form of debt. This is a steep increase from the late 1980s, when only 38% of households over 65 carried debt.

If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling with credit card debt, an online marketplace called Credible can help you consolidate your debts into one monthly payment with a lower interest rate.

Combining your debts into a single loan will help you pay down what you owe faster, and potentially save you hundreds in interest.

It might also be useful to sit down with a financial adviser to discuss both your current situation and where you’re hoping to head in the future. Finding an adviser that’s a good fit for your specific needs can take a lot of legwork though, especially if you’re doing it on your own.

If you want to get some professional advice on managing your finances, Advisor.com can match you with a vetted financial adviser in minutes.

Even if you’re starting small, Advisor.com can help you put together a plan that will get you to retirement.

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• The US dollar has lost 87% of its purchasing power since 1971 — invest in this stable asset before you lose your retirement fund

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.