Your first step should be to use your side hustle money to pay down debt. Then, you need to build up an emergency fund. When that time comes, consider putting your money into a high-yield savings account (HYSA), a brokerage account, or a tax-advantaged retirement account like a 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA).
The more you put away now, the better off you’ll be as you inch closer to retirement. Invest today, and your future self will thank you tomorrow.