<prompt> Human: I am 39k in student loan debt with an average 7 interest rate. I am making monthly minimum payments of 500 each month and contributing an extra 250 each month to the higher interest loans. However, I just finished my emergency fund and I want to continue saving and starting to create a Financial Freedom account. My question to PF is this; should I continue saving money and investing it in say a Roth IRA, or should I use that money to pay off loans more aggressively than I am currently doing. Helpful piece of info: Employer does not offer 401k. Unrelated: Please help me figure out how to stick to my food budget each month. I dont like the envelope system.  <response>: pay debt first.As for your preference for the envelope system, you can dislike it all you want, but until you come up with a new system of your own... gotta lean to choke on it. 