It's always good to have a retirement and also diverse investments. You want some that are easily liquidated if you need. Buy low, but prices always fluctuate so sometimes that's hard to do. Best thing when starting out is make a budget and stick to it. Don't forget to figure out monthly costs and and make a separate savings account for random expenses like car insurance and repairs, emergency fund, new car, down payment on a house, gifts, etc., then put the rest into savings and other investments and you'll learn which ones give the best returns over time.