<prompt> Human: Im currently 18 and going to be starting to work full time this coming summer. Ill be starting at 22 an hour and I was wondering what would be smart with the money I make now that can benefit me in the future. I own a car that I paid off already and I pay 2100 every six months for insurance. Any tips on what I should do to get the most out of the money I make would be great.  <response>: First of all have you shopped around for insurance? I understand insurance at age 18 can be expensive but 2100 for 6 months is INSANE. Check out GEICO if you havent theyre like half or even cheaper than their competitors and have served me well over the years when I needed to file claims.As for your job, 22hour is GREAT if you are working full time. That is 42k a year which people out of college sometimes dont even make.Go to and make an account. Link all your bank accountscredit cards if you have any and set budgets for yourself that are reasonable. Im not sure if youre living alone or with family, but even if you are living on your own, I cannot see you needing to spend more than half of that income. I lived with my wife fairly comfortably on 24,000 a year. That included all living expenses, rent, insurance, and some fun expenses. In your case I would budget so you save at least half of the money each year. If you are living with your parents, save even more like 75.At your age what youll want to do is save for emergencies and future necessities like mortgage, wedding if you plan on marriage down the line, etc. Put that money in a high-rate savings account Check out Alliant Credit Union or Ally Bank which gives you at least 1 a year. It will help keep up with inflation. Some may recommend investing it in the stock market, and while long-term that is a great idea, if you might need the money in 2-3 years that is not the wisest idea as you have no idea where the market will be in a few years and can even lose some of that money. Put it in a savings account and keep it out of sight! For right now I would not worry about retirement. Theres nothing wrong with starting now, but you will need the money for more important things in life in the coming few years. I recommend after building up a good savings account at least 20-30k that you begin heavily contributing to a retirement account.So in your case, youll be making 3500month pre-tax. If you are living by yourself, ideally you will not spend more than 1500month sharing an apartment with a roommate or two, and then you save the rest. If you are living with parents, than your expenses should be even significantly less say maybe 600-800month MAX including your insurance. Save every penny after that! In a few years you will be so glad you did! Congrats on the job! May I ask where you are working or in what field? 