<prompt> Human: I make 41k. Minimum payments on my student loans are around 50, but Im auto-paying 121 300 based purely on emotional whim e.g. I really want to buy a new expensive sweater but instead Ill pay off my loans to satiate the desire to spend per month. I was able to save a bit while living at home, but now Im in my own place. Should I keep the 5k in my savings as an emergency fund or is that too much for me to hold onto? I have a feeling that I should pay off around 1k-2k in loans now. Interest rates are 3.15-3.16 because theyre federal loans. As for my retirement fund, Im automatically deferring 10 directly into my 401k from my paycheck. Should I put more money here instead?Thanks in advance.  <response>: Youre getting a tax break on your student loan interest, so your effective rate is down under 3.I wouldnt be in a rush to pay off these loans at these rates. Certainly wouldnt dent an e-fund to accelerate the payment. Id be more interested in seeing how much of these loans I could pay off with future dollars, which are worth less than present dollars. 