When you have a little money, the question isn't just 'save or spend?' — it's 'what first?' There's a proven order, and it beats guessing.
You've got some money and a dozen things you could do with it — save, invest, pay off a card, start a Roth. Doing them in the wrong order leaves money on the table. Luckily, there's a widely-taught sequence.
— Educational, not financial advice.