If saving a few hundred bucks a month seems daunting, rest assured it only gets worse. One way to make the job easier is to rely on your job -- specifically investing in your company's 401k plan and enjoying whatever contribution match your employer offers. Think of it as free money.

Don't have a 401k? Open a Roth IRA if you qualify, and automatically deposit money into it from your bank account to get tax-free growth.

35 years old: Early innings

Ten years later, the price of waiting has been high. Not as costly as it will be, but tough enough. Instead of $320 a month, you're looking at saving $775 a month to turn that $10,000 into seven figures at a 7% annualized return.

Don't beat yourself up. Just save. Funnel money into your 401k so you're not dipping into your own pocket for the full amount. Take the Roth IRA route if you can. By now you may have a young family -- so do it for the kids. Show them you not only can make money but also know how to handle it.

"Children can be extremely good motivators to good financial habits," said Eleanor Blayney, consumer advocate for the CFP Board and a wealth adviser in McLean, Va., who specializes in financial planning for women.

Teach the kids sound money habits, and teach yourself at the same time. "It induces you to be financially smart," Blayney said.

45 years old: Halfway home

At 45, you're likely established in your career, with a decent salary. You may own a home, and the kids are thinking about college.

It's good you're making money, because you'll need to add $1,850 every month to that $10,000 base to reach $1 million in 20 years.

"There's a greater sense of urgency; your window for taking advantage of time is starting to close," Dungan said.

Yet one in four Americans between the ages of 46 and 64 has no retirement savings, the Harris Poll found. An additional 22% have retirement savings mostly in bonds and savings accounts.

With so little saved at this point, you would do well to re-evaluate your expectations for retirement. Are you saving and investing accordingly? You may have to weigh the purchases you make today versus a stable retirement.

"Now's your chance," Blayney said. "Don't blow it."

55 years old: Winding down

At 55, the amount needed to reach $1 million with a $10,000 bankroll is both comical and sad: $5,700 a month for 10 years.

Maybe you've been living paycheck to paycheck, and life has been good. You've got a nice house, a fancy car -- but no savings. In short, you have a big hat but no cattle. The millionaire is next door, and he isn't knocking.

This is your moment of truth. You may not become a millionaire, but you can live like someone who is on the way to becoming one. Here's how: Cut expenses, save what you can and work longer.

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"If a client is in their mid-50s and hugely behind, we start to focus on lowering expenses by paying off debt, restructuring debt or lowering housing costs," said Guyton, the Minneapolis financial adviser.

"If that change lowers their expenses by $1,000 a month, that's more beneficial than helping them accumulate an extra $100,000," Guyton said. Indeed, cutting $12,000 a year from expenses equates to what roughly $175,000 in assets would produce at a 7% yield.

And take care of your health, Guyton added. You're going to need it to show up at work.

"It's a whole different matter when you have to stay on the treadmill," Guyton said. "We don't mince words. We try to make it manageable and realistic, but there are some options that aren't on the table anymore."

This article was reported by Jonathan Burton for MarketWatch.