<prompt> Human: Hello! My current situation is as follows: 25, renting, two jobs and minimal expenses no car payments, insurance etc. Currently have 7000 saved and 0 debt.Monthly bills expenses: 1500Monthly take home: 3000-3500 varies I just started saving this year, and so far have been setting aside although less than ideal considering my disposable income amount all my saved money into a savings account where it remains stagnant. Advice needed! How should I continue? Any savings tips appreciated I do have a spending habit Im working on curbing and also looking for guidance on good next moves. Should i keep adding money until I hit a certain amount? Should I begin contributing to retirement ? Should I save for a home and use that to increase income via rental? Invest? Sorry for my lack of knowledge, I am totally learning and in need of beginner tips  <response>: Figure out your goals, do you want to buy a house or car or further your education? Then have a written budget at the beginning of the month and account for your spending at the end of each month then make adjustments by allotting more money to certain categories or curbing wasteful behaviors. This can help you save more, plus having something that you are saving towards will help you save more, it is easier to sacrifice with an end reward in mind.The general rule of thumb is to have 3-6 months worth of expenses easily accessible in an emergency fund, which you already have because your expenses are nice and low. An online savings account like Ally with around a 1 apr is the best you will get for safe growth that you can access immediately if you need it, or you can check your local credit unions who sometimes have incentivized rates if you direct deposit or keep a certain minimum. If you are saving for a big purchase I would also keep it in this account because the only other safe short term investment is CDs which arent worth tying your money up for a whole year for and extra .5.You should contribute to your 401k on whatever the maximum company match is. As a whole you should try to invest 15 of your pay into retirement accounts. Look online to learn the difference between 401k, traditional and Roth IRA, and taxable brokerage accounts. Try to invest in low fee .25-.75 mutual funds, with a mix of total market, large growth, small cap, and international. If you want to play around and gamble in the market with extra money you have then there are lots of options like etrade or Robinhood, just be aware of the fees to buy and sell and know your tax stuff. ETFs or index funds are good because it is hard to be successful picking individual stocks. If you do want to hold individual stocks then I would suggest mostly Large cap US companies that pay dividends. Buying penny stocks is like playing the slots, you will constantly lose with a very very slim chance of ever hitting the jackpot. Real estate can be a good source of passive income, and can be considered a good investment, but be aware of the additional costs and hassle of managing a property or paying someone else to. 