This is one of the more important points on your list and maybe something that most people don't necessarily realize when they're younger. When it comes to finances you've really got to plan for the long term and you have to understand that it requires persistence to achieve most dreams. The people who have $500k banked and are possibly able to live off dividends the rest of their life might have been putting away $2k per month for decades into their investment - it's not some trick about trying to win the lottery by buying that miracle share for $1k that leaps up in 500 times in value. It's a slow and steady commitment, not wasting money on frivolous things, to get to that end goal. That being said, the more financial risk you can take as you have a longer recovery time but it's better to work out your strategy early.