1) If you can work at a job that will pay for your education, you should do that rather than take student loans. You may have to give up a social life for four years while you work and go to school but you will have a lot more money and will be able to do more in the future. 2) When you buy your first home, buy a two or three family apartment building. You can live cheaply while continuing to save money and eventually buy a home with a lot more money down. You could also keep the income property and allow the tenants to pay for it to use toward your retirement. 3) Save money while you are in the your twenties and thirties. You can not make up for that time later. Save as much as you can in your company 401k, etc. Sacrifice while you are younger, it makes a huge difference when you get into your late thirties and forties. If you wait until your late thirties or forties to start saving you will never be wealthy. You just can't catch up. 4) Keep separate savings and checking accounts. one checking account for your bills, one checking account for your spending money and fuel, atleast one savings account for your long-term savings and savings for home repairs, put your emergency fund money (8 to 12 months of expenses) in CD's where is isn't as easy to get to the money but can be accessed if needed.

1) If you can work at a job that will pay for your education, you should do that rather than take student loans. You may have to give up a social life for four years while you work and go to school but you will have a lot more money and will be able to do more in the future. 2) When you buy your first home, buy a two or three family apartment building. You can live cheaply while continuing to save money and eventually buy a home with a lot more money down. You could also keep the income property and allow the tenants to pay for it to use toward your retirement. 3) Save money while you are in the your twenties and thirties. You can not make up for that time later. Save as much as you can in your company 401k, etc. Sacrifice while you are younger, it makes a huge difference when you get into your late thirties and forties. If you wait until your late thirties or forties to start saving you will never be wealthy. You just can't catch up. 4) Keep separate savings and checking accounts. one checking account for your bills, one checking account for your spending money and fuel, atleast one savings account for your long-term savings and savings for home repairs, put your emergency fund money (8 to 12 months of expenses) in CD's where is isn't as easy to get to the money but can be accessed if needed.