Background: Live with my mother (parents divorced) they pay for schooling and living expenses. I attend the local junior college and should be able to transfer to the state school currently 3.4 gpa and major in accounting fall 2018. They will continue to pay expenses as long as i pull grades, yes i know I'm fortunate. Always been a minimalist working odd jobs, since i was 12. I had amassed 5,000 by the time i was 16.
Job: Second year working at my job (retail), started at $11 now making 14.38 and expected raise to $15 in the fall, so HR tells me. Really enjoy it, they let me pick hours, virtually any job in the store. I forsee myself staying next 2 or so years. I feel like I'm overpaid, but i don't complain about it lol. Last year I earned 13k. This year expected 18-20k. Save about 80%, so about 15k would be investable.
Job 2- I have also been doing landscaping and random side jobs around the neighborhood could easily pull in couple grand this summer.
Savings- 15,000 cash, $700 401k (more on that later) also have 1500 set aside for 8 week trip to thailand/SE asia next winter that i just bought tickets for
Car- 96 accord 170,000 miles runs great do the minimal maintenance myself
401k- got a late jump on this currently $700, fees are .31 6% match and so far I've been contributing just the match.
I've always thought I would just keep saving and when I graduate put a down payment on a home. With the uncertainty of RE prices in western Washington, and the thought of my money sitting in cash for 3-4+ years makes me uncomfortable. Should i just contribute the most i can to my 401k and open up a roth ira?
If i keep working here until i graduate i could potentially have 30-50k invested which would be a nice head-start.
I dont know, what would you do?