As the other said, pay off those loans!
However, you can start a vanguard account for $1000. So if you want to go through the motions and at least have yourself set up for when you do have spare cash to invest, you will already have it ready.
But surely its easy to see that an 8% return in the market (before taxes) is actually less than the return of paying down your 12% loan. (or the 8.2% average interest rate you are paying)
Now go, and come back in six months and tell us all how you killed that 12% loan!