<prompt> Human: I finally got a real job! I start on Monday, and I will be making 40k a year. I am stoked, and I want to handle my finances well right out the gate! I will list some of the job stuff, then my situation, then my plangoals for the sake of order. Advice will be highly appreciated.The Job: few weeks of training at 35k, then I move to night shift and get bumped to 40k employer will match 401k contributions up to 6 I will get a small income bump when I get up to speed at work 1-3 annual bonus based on performance profit sharing they will pay for my personal cell after I have worked for them for a few months full insurance coverage for me and any spousedependents I have none thoughBasically they are very generous employers, and I am super pumped to be working with them. Now for my living situation: I have about 3800 in student debt, and I am months ahead on payments I have about 3000 between checking and savings at USAA parents pay my auto insurance 626 annually, and I am driving a somewhat crap 2000 honda they have generously let me use. I live with my boyfriend in his parents condo. Basically they are fairly wealthy and let their son stay here for free while he job searches, and I am included in that package. We have at least the rest of the year here if we need it, and probably longer if necessary. It is 1 room, and cockroachy, but less than a 10 minute drive from where I will be working, which is very convenient, and free! Make no mistake, I know I am very lucky, and am grateful for this, but I will definitely want to move out in the futureHaving an actual income will truly change my life, and I want to be prepared for it! I have done some research, and this is what I was thinking of doing with my income: contribute 12 of my income directly into my 401k. I am very interested in saving for the future, and I dont think this would be too much out of my paycheck to handle. Is that naive? begin aggressively paying down student debt: I want to be done with it this summer, and if I make large payments 800-1000 a month I can achieve that goal. after my student loan is paid off, I will open a Roth IRA and start depositing 500 or more, if I can spare it dollars a month. switch the auto insurance to my name. I got a quote from USAA who my dad is currently insuring my car through, and it seems that it will actually be a little cheaper for me, at 559year. increase my credit limit with my existing card 500, and seriously consider opening another credit card. I have a 734 credit score, and my only detractors are a short-ish credit history and few accounts.Other Questions: What can I expect to pay in taxes? I have no reference for this much money. Do my 401k contributions lower my amount of taxable income? Is it worth it to buy You Need a Budget? I want some budgeting software, but it is pricey. Is it worth it? Should I just wait indefinitely to look for a car for myself? I dont love my vehicle, but it works, I have an extremely short commute, and my parents dont want it back any time soon. They will probably just sell it when I no longer need it, as they have numerous cars already. I will want to get my own car for myself eventually, but I dont really need to worry about it this year I suppose. Am I forgetting something obvious? Is there a glaring issue with my game plan?TL;DR: I am finally getting a real income, and I need advice on how to manage it and where to put it. Just look for sentences with question marks for specific questions :Edit: Im getting mixed advice to go to 15 for my 401k and to only meet my employer match at 6. I think I may just split the difference and go middle of the road at 10. I can always change it if I learn more down the road or decide 10 is the wrong amount.  <response>: Congratulations on everything and sounds like you have a good, forward-thinking head on your shoulders. The only input I have is that in your shoes, I would put just enough in 401k to maximize employer match and then put additional towards Roth IRA instead of prioritizing non-matched 401k contributions over Roth IRA contributions. At your income level and relatively low tax rate, absorbing the tax hit now on the Roth is likely more advantageous than deferring the tax hit on the 401k. Roth IRA is also a much more flexible account than a 401k. 