<prompt> Human: I recently got the opportunity to work on an oil and gas rig and if everything goes to plan in the next week I should have the job. It is a 2 week on 2 week off job so I cant really go to uni, nor do I want to. I want to go to film school but Im not sure I can since I will be flying out to a rig for 2 weeks at a time. For now I am putting that on hold but still doing some little projects on my time off. My question is; what should I do with the money since I am so young, dont plan on going to uni, and live at home?Edit: Big thank you to everyone who commented. Im grateful to have so many experienced people guide me. I am going to finish reading though every comment. Thanks again.Assistant: First of all... Grats on getting a great-paying job! Start banking the money in savings, at first. Unless the money is given to you up front, all at once in a lump sum, you really cant do anything with it investment-wise, yet. Of course, if they offer a good 401K or similar retirement plan, get that! Anything that can make you more money in the long run is good. Remember that 73,000 is total gross annual income. Thats around 6,000 a month, gross, but you have to account for taxes. That means your actual take home pay is closer to 4,000, or 1,000 a week. Great that youre able to live at home! But dont forget to at least offer to pay something towards your own upkeep room and board, because at 18 you are an adult. If your parents decline your offer, awesome! If they accept, at least it is still way less than having to move out and into an apartment. Depending on where you live, 4,000 a month is barely enough to break even. Once you have a good chunk in savings I suggest waiting until after you pay your taxes, next year, then start working up an investment portfolio. Good luck, and be careful out there! Human: Thank you for your advice! I am a good saver. After I do save up, what investments should I consider and how long it take before I can invest?  <response>: Read the sidebar and other popular threads; everything you want tio know has been answered several hundred times. What he is suggesting is to save up an emergency fund before you start investing. Not bad advice, but I would suggest starting with a small automatic contribution from each paycheck to an investment account right off the bat. 