<prompt> Human: Like many, I was a fool for not taking my financial stability seriously at a young age. Im 27 and not married with kids, now pigeon holding a regular, low skilled job. Ill be turning 28 soon and I want to master this aspect of my life. To start, Id live to save a bit of money to pay for comptia certifications so I may be more qualified for better, more skilled positions in the future. I also want to save 10k as back up just in case something goes wrong... I also want to invest starting now. As you can see I have a lot that I wish to accomplish now that Im learning to care about my life. Do you think Im too late? Like I know its never to late to actually save money but do you think I can save enough in time for when I choose to retire in 30 years? With a pay rate of 12.01, theres only so many ways pennies can stretch. Is it a bad idea to invest with so little pay with apps like Acorn or Stash? Should I just invest in the certifications now and then invest when I get a better paying job? I appreciate all criticism and feedback of all kinds. Thank you for reading and helping.  <response>: Start by putting money toward whatever will help you get a higher paying job. That should be your main focus right now. 