<prompt> Human: People have told me to buy property, but I live in Seattle so a down-payment on a decent place is at least 80k. I currently have about 20k sitting in a checking account and dont know what I should be doing with it. Should I put it into stocks or a mutual fund until it grows enough for a down-payment? Please tell me how to money.  <response>: Lets get you started on a great financial path!First, read this wiki post on the solid foundations of how to handle money. You need that foundation set and in place in order to make wise financial decisions.Then, read through the post on what to do if your 18 to 25 It has a bunch of really great advice tailored to people of your age. 