<prompt> Human: I have followed this sub-reddit for almost a year now, ever since I knew this was going to happen. I have read horror stories about windfalls, and the negatives that go with them. I have read the wiki, regarding windfalls.Here is my issue, I am set to receive 40k from a car accident settlement. I come from a very poor family25kyr, god bless my mom she did worked hard for what we had. and I am notoriously bad with finance. I am living with my girlfriend and our school age daughter. I returned to work in December, after a few months it was clear that the accident left me unable to do my job properly, and I resigned. I used to make 30kyr at my job, now I am jobless. So here is what I want to do. I need to get a car. I need to secure some type of emergency fund for a few months. I have no idea what to do with the rest of the money besides dump it in the bank and just pay for shit like groceries, bills, etc...What do I do, I feel this heavy pressure, I feel this heavy burden, and I am just lost trying to make sense of it all.EDIT: I do plan on getting a job very soon, I have been looking and filling out applications.Assistant: Since youre in such an unstable position, you need to keep it liquidated. Toss 30,000 of it in a bank for now or some place you can forget about it for a bit. Get a 5,000 4-cylinder car with as low mileage as you can. Get a job. Become stable with your new job, 5,000, and your new income. Then you should come back and ask how to invest the 30,000. Other options are to use some of the money to get you certifications or credentials to get better paying jobs. You could go take classes in your field that might help you earn more in the long runHuman: Since youre in such an unstable position, you need to keep it liquidated. Toss 30,000 of it in a bank for now or some place you can forget about it for a bit. Get a 5,000 4-cylinder car with as low mileage as you can. Get a job. Become stable with your new job, 5,000, and your new income. Then you should come back and ask how to invest the 30,000. I agree with this, I like this idea.Other options are to use some of the money to get you certifications or credentials to get better paying jobs. You could go take classes in your field that might help you earn more in the long runI really love IT type stuff. I am think about going into this field. Any recommendations?  <response>: Get a CISCO Certification 