Saving for retirement is becoming out of reach for young Canadians

Personal finance experts believe the current economic climate will likely cause many young adults financial pain regardless of how careful they've been with their money, but won't necessarily derail their path to retirement altogether.

"Coupons are my middle name; sales are in my DNA," he says.

It's not just the art of bargain-hunting that he's mastered, though. Francone has also been saving in other ways and working to build wealth since he was a teenager.

But soaring inflation, a hot housing market, interest rate hikes, and a struggling stock market, in combination with his bouncing around from one landscaping job to the next for the last few years, have left Francone nervous about his long-term financial goals, like retirement.