<prompt> Human: Ive been below the poverty line for most of my life. I rarely had small windfalls, less than 1000 and Id always spend it all immediately with nothing to show for it. Ive slowly become more comfortable over the years. I now live more comfortably than I ever have, with all of my living expenses under control. Just today, I realized I have 300 just sitting around and I dont need anything. I could use an updated and larger wardrobe, which I plan on slowly obtaining so I dont blow all my money at once. Im about to have about 5k in spare cash that has no predetermined use. Ive been getting my retail therapy under control by filling my cart online and then slowly removing items as I realize I dont need them or just filling carts on sites I dont use and then forgetting about them. Id like to have some sort of return from my money if possible, but Im not willing to invest in risky ventures like stocks. I have a gambling issue and will easily lose it all if I start playing that game. I also dont want my money locked away where I dont have access to it when I really need it. I only have my high school diploma. I could pay for some classes to get some certification and try to get a better carreer opportunity. I just dont know where to start or what to do and I need to have somewhat of a plan so I dont go back to my old habit of spending until its gone.Tl;dr: I finally have 5k that I dont have to spend on anything. What should I do to keep it safe, spend it wisely, or gain some short term returns?Assistant: As others said, good for you for wanting a better life.Perhaps before we start, what roughly is your current income, and where does it normally go?Human: I havent crawled far away from the poverty line, making about 15k a year. Im fortunate enough to live with a boyfriend that makes 35k and we both pay what we found to be reasonable for our different income levels. About 30 of my monthly income goes to living expenses. The rest isnt designated and I just kinda slowly spend it as needed. Im thinking I need to start putting at least 20 into savings as well.  <response>: You should look into associates degrees. Choose a local community college.Investing in yourself is worth it. 