$48,000

OR

$242,400

age 25	$400 each month	$5,073
age 26	$400 each month	$10,789.40
age 27	$400 each month	$17,230.80
age 28	$400 each month	$24,489.00
age 29	$400 each month	$32,677.90
age 30	$400 each month	$41,884.00
age 31	$400 each month	$52,268.90
age 32	$400 each month	$63,970.90
age 33	$400 each month	$77,157.00
age 34	$400 each month	$92,015.50
age 35	STOPPED!	$103,685.34	$1010 each month	$12,809.33
age 36	Total invested =	$116,835.24	$1010 each month	$27,243.20
age 37	$48,000	$131,652.87	$1010 each month	$43,507.65
age 38	LET IT RIDE!	$148,349.75	$1010 each month	$61,834.83
age 39		$167,164.21	$1010 each month	$82,486.37
age 40		$188,364.82	$1010 each month	$105,757.03
age 41		$212,254.19	$1010 each month	$131,979.00
age 42		$239,173.33	$1010 each month	$161,526.57
age 43		$269,506.50	$1010 each month	$194,821.51
age 44		$303,686.67	$1010 each month	$232,339.08
age 45		$342,201.74	$1010 each month	$274,614.81
age 46		$385,601.49	$1010 each month	$322,252.17
age 47		$434,505.41	$1010 each month	$375,931.14
age 48		$489,611.57	$1010 each month	$436,417.95
age 49		$551,706.57	$1010 each month	$504,576,00
age 50		$621,676.77	$1010 each month	$581,378.19
age 51		$700,520.95	$1010 each month	$667,920.83
age 52		$789,364.54	$1010 each month	$765,439.24
age 53		$889,475.72	$1010 each month	$875,325.42
age 54		$1,002,283.51	$1010 each month	$999,147.92
age 55		$1,129,398.14	STOPPED!	$1,125,864,88
age 56		$1,272,634.10	Total invested =	$1,268,652,73
age 57		$1,434,035.95	$242,400	$1,429,549.65
age 58		$1,615,907.61		$1,610,852,33
age 59		$1,820,845.14		$1,815,148.73
age 60		$2,051,773.88		$2,045,355.02
age 61		$2,311,990.16		$2,304,757.23
age 62		$2,605,208.38		$2,597,058.13
age 63		$2,935,614.02		$2,926,430.11
age 64		$3,307,923.35		$3,297,574.70
age 65		$3,727,450.83		$3,715,789.71

To sum up:

Investment #1...  We started at age 25...  And invested $400 a month for just 10 years and stopped...  But, we let it ride until we retired at age 65...

We invested a total of $242,400 (that's $194,400 more)... and ended up with a little LESS...  $3,715,789.71. 

The math does the talking, baby!  Investment #1 is definitely the smart way to go!

So, don't put it off!  Save now... play later!

(The present value of that $3,700,000 that we've projected 40 years down the road is worth just under $1,000,000 in today's dollars -- assuming a 3.3% inflation factor.)