<prompt> Human: I work for a small company that offers nothing in terms of retirement or investing. Just started to get my life together and wanted to know what my best options are for investing for the future. My monthly expenses are 1600 to 1800 a month. I make about 2k a month at best. What should I be investing in first? How would I go about investing in those particular areas? Is there someone I should look into talking to closer to home that can help? Any help or guidence would be fantastic.Edit: I guess a break down would have helped a bit! Sorry!Car payment: 297.67Insurance: 107.87Credit Card: 125Engagement Ring: 150RentLive with parent atm: 450Gas: 150Food: 250NecessitiesBathroom needsPersonal Hygiene: 100 Thats the breakdown. My fiance doesnt work atm, so im on my own with saving. Weve cut out just about everything we could to help shore up what we can saveinvest.  <response>: What do your debts look like, in ratio to your current income level? Paying off debts is the first step to putting money aside, particularly when youre looking at your current income level leaving very little wiggle room for unexpected expenses. Say, your transmission goes out on your car, or you slip and break your wrist, wheres money come from to cover? I would recommend paying down debts, paying off car loans, etc, and putting aside at least 100 a month until youve got 3 months worth of expenses saved in a savings account that you dont touch. Then Id move more into investigating retirement savings options after thats accomplished. Establish a better income-to-debt ratio, establish a safety net, and then plan for the long term savings. 