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Many individuals are concerned about retirement savings and even younger adults have strategies to ensure they're setting aside as much money for the future as possible. While many people make investments and take advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans, plenty of people also build up their savings by setting aside change and using it to add to their retirement funds.

Saving for the future a large goal
A new survey revealed women are especially concerned about saving for the future, as it's their top financial priority. The Credit Union National Association's Women's Financial Survey revealed females are more worried about their retirement accounts than buying a home or paying off old debt. While the most popular forms of retirement savings were 401(k)s and pension plans, there are a multitude of ways individuals can set aside funds for the future, and every penny counts.

"The fact that women are thinking about retirement planning is a good sign that the message is getting out there that time is one of the most important aspects of retirement savings, and the sooner they start the better," said Paul Gentile, executive vice president of CUNA.

Even though many women are actively involved in their retirement planning, the poll found many aren't confident in their ability to manage their finances. More than 51 percent of those surveyed reported they were not self-assured in their ability to save and handle expenses, despite the fact that most claimed to balance their checkbooks, maintain significant emergency funds and pay off credit card balances each month.

Different ways to save
Individuals put away money for retirement, emergencies and special purchases in different ways. The savings strategies that work for some people may not be effective for others, making it important for those planning for the future to have a good idea of how they can save optimally and meet any financial goals they have.

Even though credit unions, banks and employers may offer these people different options when it comes to setting aside money, there are some techniques financially-savvy individuals can employ on their own when it comes to saving all they can. By setting aside spare change in a coin jar and taking it to a self-service coin counting machine to see how much they've saved and put those funds toward retirement savings or a large purchase.