<prompt> Human: Ive always worked basic jobs and had a certain amount of debt but now Im about to make 92,000 a year as a specialist in design. My husband also works making just less than half that. We can have almost all of our debts paid in three months besides our car loan, but I have a very low interest savings account going without much in it and thats it. I want to invest and have no idea what to do first. I dont know how to pick a 401 and my father always said to invest in bonds or mutual funds, but that was a long time ago before the recession. My husband and I hope to purchase a home in six months but before that, pay the 8,000in debt and want to get money socked away in addition to saving for a downpayment.Im not sure what to do next. Any and all advice welcome.  <response>: Agreed -- the PRIME DIRECTIVE is your first step.Also, look at the flow chart in the wiki.Remember that you dont have to do everything at once, but if you have credit card debt, paying it off will probably give you better returns than you can get in investments -- and thats guaranteed, whereas the market is not.Whats the interest on the car loan? People advise paying off loans with an interest rate higher than about 5, again because they are guaranteed. Having said that, I note that the market is paying lots more these days. Like everything else, its a balancing act. 