Most financial advice assumes a high income. This guide focuses on realistic strategies for median earners: emergency fund first (3-6 months expenses), then tax-advantaged accounts (pension, ISA), then index funds. Compound interest over decades matters more than individual stock picks.\n\nKey principles: spend less than you earn, automate savings, ignore market noise. Dollar-cost averaging into broad index funds has outperformed most active strategies over 20-year periods. Debt management — especially high-interest consumer debt — takes priority over investing.