<prompt> Human: Background Im 24 years old, just finished received my Masters, and got a job paying 85,000 in the Dallas area. Ive never made that much money before, and I have no idea what Im doing financially. For reference, the most Ive ever made prior to this was 37,500 for 1 year.My parents are firmly middle class about 120,000 annual combined before taxes, but make poor spending choices boats, jewelry, etc. and dont really know how to handle my amount of income for my age it took them years to build up to the 80k income level, and by then, they were already pretty stable and had financial experience. Thus, Im hoping to learn some finance information from the financially savvy people here at rpersonalfinance. nbsp;Additional Information I have 30,000 in student loan debt and no other debts. Ill be moving to Dallas for the job, so living at home is not an option. My car is fully paid for. Based on different calculators online, after deductions tax and 401k, Ill be taking home 60,000 it seems. Ive read the wiki and tried to absorb as much as a could. Finance just seems like such a unique for each individual that theres no one-size-fits-all approach.nbsp;My Questions Note: When I ask can I afford, I doesnt mean does the math check out; I mean more along the lines of is it reasonable to spend this muchnbsp;1. For all my questions, Ill be asking in term of my annual before-tax income i.e. the 85,000. Would monthly income be a better metric?2. Should I be looking to rent an apartment or buy a homecondo?3. What percentage of my annual before-tax income should I be using on housing costs i.e. rentmortgage, utilities, maintenance, etc per year? Can I afford a 1,000month rent? 1,500month? 2,500month? 4. What percentage of my annual before-tax income should I be using on paying off my student loan?5. Im looking to buy a car in 1 to 2 years. I want something that has the most advanced technology and safety features to keep me safe. This unfortunately usually leads to luxury brands. Thus, A what percentage of my annual before-tax income should I try to use for a car? Can I afford a 1.5k car? A 15k car? A 150k car? B What type of financing should I try to do? Save up and out-right buy for cash? Or a multi-year monthly payment? Lease?6. Isnt there a phrase of having my money make money for me? Im assuming that is some type of investment plan? What is the best way to invest ones money that makes additional money?7. The idea of the stock market has always interested me, but I have no idea how stocks work. It is worthwhile to try to invest in stocks and make additional money that way? Or should it be a if I have disposable income, then I can play around with stocks type situation?nbsp;Thank you for any help or advice you can offer!  <response>: If you can live super-frugally for the first year, you might be able to pay off all of the student debt in the first year. If that too tight, then Id aim to get it gone in two years. That will free up a lot of money to save or spend o the car of your choice. IMO, a super-fancy car is not a good idea, but if you want it and can afford it, then go for it. Many experts say that a 3-year-old car is the best value, but again, this is an individual choice. 