<prompt> Human: I am a recent college grad, which-surprise surprise- cannot yet find a job in my degree field communicationnon profit development. I have been in the restaurant industry for 3 years now, and am now in a fine dining establishment, making more than I expected to make. That being said, despite not finding a dream job yet, I want to begin preparing for that future however I can. That being said, I was raised in a not-so-wise financial situation. I cant remember a time until very recently that my parents werent thousands of dollars in debt, spending on things that made NO sense for their situation like building a pool while trying to keep up with credit card and student loan debt, all the while giving me advice on how to save money and be frugal. Needless to say, while I want to save and be frugal, I take their advice with several grains of salt. They tell me about how the last thing I EVER want to do is get a credit card of any kind, they tell me to invest in an IRA, and that my number one priority other than paying bills on time should be building up a 3-6 months expenses emergency fund in case I go unemployed suddenly, which is easy to do in the restaurant industry.SO-what should I genuinely be doing? Numbers wise, I make anywhere between 30-45k annually, which I know is a vague area but like any server knows, every shift is different. I pay at minimum 300 a month in student loans, and I am trying to pay more than that every month to get through the payments quicker. Adding in rent, various bills, and car insurance, I pay near 1,000-1,200 total for monthly expenses, leaving me with at least another 1,000 to invest and save in various ways. As a 22 yo, where in the world do I begin? Thank you in advance for your help!PS: headed to work right after posting this, so if anyone asks questions or comments, Ill reply later in the evening.TL;DR: I am a young server making enough income to begin saving, but I have no idea where to begin. Help?  <response>: Please read the information found in the FAQ particularly I Have X ... What Do I Do With It?! and the Long-Term Investing Start-Up Kit You may find Your 401k and You: Basic Information and Your IRA and You: Basic Information worth a read as well. 