<prompt> Human: I moved to NYC a little over a year ago to start a job. The cost of living here is much higher than where I was before and Im trying to get a decent amount of savings going before I start investing anywhere. I read I should have 6 months worth of living expenses saved but here thats about 20-25k. Should I really save that much as a first priority?  <response>: 3-6 months of expenses. If your job is stable or you have more than one source of income, then you can aim for the lower end of that range. 