Hi.

I’m 24, live in the Northeast, and started my first salaried job in July. I’ve put off a real assessment of my finances for too many months, so here I am.

Before getting into details: I understand I’m asking Redditors, not professional financial advisors, but I want to learn all I can from any available source before I even consider spending a financially inadvisable amount of money on financial advice.

What I want to understand is how best to save and invest my money.

My salary is $75,000/year. After taxes, I take home about $57,000/year, give or take. I also do some freelance work that brings in a couple thousand dollars each year.

I currently have about $15,000 in savings and no student loans.

I live at home to save on rent, so my essentials are mostly food and commuting (~$250/month on food, ~$270/month on commuting, plus some gas for my family’s car).

My lifestyle costs are also limited. I don’t travel much or eat out.…