Thanks, I should have pointed out the second part. I should have lived more cheaply than I did. I frittered away money here and there that could easily have tided me through a couple of short term crunches. And I could have more easily pursued several medium run goals had I had such a buffer earlier on through saving.
I've found tracking spending has made me a lot more conscious of where the money goes, and doesn't take much effort. My spending fell naturally once I knew where it was.
I also incorporated more of those hidden liabilities patrick talked about into a spreadsheet where I have an estimate of finances at month's end. Seeing my total net worth on this sheet rise has been highly motivational. It also helped me accurately assess what margin of savings I'd need at bare minimum.
Note: I tried mint, but found it didn't produce the same effect as entering data manually.
And to extend the advice slightly, learn to live more cheaply...