<prompt> Human: Im expecting about 4200 as a tax refund this year. I make enough money to get by, but am bad about savings. I could afford to save, and Im trying to make a point of it, but I just plain forget. Then I spend a little extra on food this month, or you forget to bring a lunch to work so you stop by a restaurant... you know how it goes. I know its a self-discipline issue, and Im working on it and improving!.I also owe a little less than 3000 in student loans. I always make my payment, but I dont usually pay more than the minimum.Should I:1 Put all of my refund in savings and continue to make my usual loan payment.2 Put roughly half into savings and half into student loans, leaving me with a 1000 loan balance.3 Pay off my student loan entirely and put about 1200 in savings?I dont know if it makes a difference, but Ive got a 10 month old son no child support, and I dont want it and am living with my parents but paying for groceriesphoneinsurance etc.  <response>: Pay off your loans as soon as you can. You should never 99 of the time have cash sitting in a savings account, not including an emergency fund, when you have loans outstanding. Its like earning a negative interest rate on your savings. 