<prompt> Human: Edit: she is also paying for college as well.  <response>: Throwaway account. I started investing when I was 19 20, in university. I was relatively frugal, and invested any left over money from my interest-free student loan. After graduating, I got into a competitive industry that pays just around 6 figures and covers much of my day to day expenses. Even though I had the money, I took a year to pay off my loans as I was still making money from the loans even with interest. My parents also gave me 40k from their savings. Two years after graduation, I have about 200k saved. I have 20k in chequing for personal use, and the rest in various brokerage accounts. All in all, youre probably similar to me in terms of our financial situations although youre 5 years younger. And this is how I feel about my finances: I am very much still a novice at managing money. I continue to operate at a mindset that is similar to when I was in university ie. frugal, but here are some differences:Im more generous with my life-long friends. Not just in terms of money, but in terms of my time and care. For example, I often invite friends to my home for a home-cooked meal and ask them to not bring anything except themselves. We play cards and board games after and Ive got a good collection going now. There are less opportunities to make these kinds of friends when you get older. I always question my material purchases - do I really need this object? How much satisfaction will it bring to me? I find that my spending on these types of things have stayed consistent since I was in university. I purchase trust-worthy brands that are good quality and dependable and dont cost an arm and a leg. I drive my parents 13 year old car and feel very lucky to have a car in a big city. In the same vein, I live in an old, run-down and cheap apartment in a not as nice area of town. This saves me almost 500month.I spend more on experiences and trips. My job allows me to travel frequently, but I still go on two vacations with my SO every year on a related note, my SO has similar attitudes and values towards money, and this is a topic of convo between us. However, were still young, so oftentimes the cheaper option might be the funner one e.g. taking a taxi and stopping at one location after another versus renting a scooter for a couple of hours. I am always up for new foods and new activities. I have a very high cost threshold for self-improvement activities which are for the most part, inexpensive. Books I read a lot are one example; working outexercising are another. I want to have my own library collection in my future house. My next step is to pursue higher education, and I am prepared to spend most of my savings to do this for the right pedigree and opportunities.I decided to post because as much as 260k sounds like, it doesnt bring you out of the game of working hard and making a living. Dont treat the money like a wind-fall and spend it like you have to spend it. I know at least this much even though Im still a rookie and have so much to learn. The reason your mom gave it to you now is because youre young enough to have big dreams, and youre not tied down to bills and kids you have to support. Use this money to invest in yourself so youre better positioned to win in the game of life.Edit: As I look through the comments, only a few have replied in a common sense way. Immediate advice is to get a financial advisor to help you invest it smartly, and sit on the money without doing anything. Some have said purchase a house - I advise against it unless youre using it for rental income which might make sense as a part of your overall strategy, but dont pay the entire thing off - your advisor will explain why. Think long and hard before touching a cent of it. 