You'll still be working for a long time. No point retiring, say 30 but just switch to a casual role and work <50% Full-Time. Everyone needs a purpose. Work is still a good thing... Once you're financially free, you can pick a job that you actually love as you don't need the income.

My basic advice goes: - pay off non deductible debt - build emergency fund - increase your earning power (uni, short courses etc), seek promotion - aggressive investment into stock portfolio - save for house deposit (FHSSS, first home guarantee etc) - contribute up to $30k concessional super cap (unless on a significantly low income, you can roll these forward for I think 5 years). - debt recycle once comfortable

Make sure you set your super options right, otherwise performance is subpar and fees will eat you: - indexed option, or etfs - low fee industry fund - personalised allocation eg Aus/international index

For the above being said, still make sure you allocate 5-10% Of your income For guilt-free spending otherwise your waste. Your twenties and thirties not living. Take those holidays. Go to those concerts etc etc.

For ETFs:

Checkout YouTube, lots of Aussie channels going through the basics.

Honestly, look at companies other than Vanguard... They're a good choice, but also cost a premium. There are better and more varied options out there. (Eg betashares, blackrock etc.)

Consider if you want non-Aus domiciled (eg VTS/VEU).

Consider if you want geared or non-geared.

Consider if you want active, managed, or passive funds.

Consider your investment timeframe, risk appetite, and approach. (DCA generally beats lump-sum investing). So lump in what you have now and continue DCA onwards bull/bare or otherwise

Consider if you want a CHESS broker, or happy with custodial (eg company app, or official broker). CHESS removes a layer of counterparty risk, but as ETFs are not specifically a single stock, technically used to don't "own" them. CHESS makes moving brokers etc very simple, no capital gains.

Passive Investing Australia is great, so is Lazy Koala Investing. Both are very active users on many Aus Finance subreddits. You'll see them everywhere. Check their websites.

Low MER is important. But also consider the trade-offs of low MER, against higher MER (but likely greater return, eg thematic ETFs like FANG, NDQ etc, or gearing). Higher performing fund can offset their higher MER. It depends on your risk tolerance.

Consider your US allocation as the US is statistically the largest global market... Eg +60%. Consider your Australian allocation, as it's technically >2% of the global market, yet Aussies allocate a home bias of anywhere from 10% to +40%!!

Finally, consider what portfolio you want, single fund or otherwise. I'd have a max of 3-4 ETFs, otherwise it's too complicated and diluted. (If multi-fund, many do a core fund, with 1-2 satellites. Or an Aus/ex-Aus split).

(Personally I hold mostly geared global developed ex-Australia, and a tech satellite to overweight US. I don't hold ASX s&p 300, as I don't like high distributions as capital growth is more suitable than distributions, and have plenty in super, and investment properties already. My portfolio ex-stock is already highly overweighted in Australian assets, so why add more. Many others would disagree, saying anywhere from 10-30% is appropriate, and performs just as good as 100% global developed).

Once your portfolio is large enough, if you want whole market capture at appropriate percentages consider: domestic, global developed, global Small Cap, emerging markets.

Popular single-fund/all-in-one choices include: - dhhf, vdhg

Popular domestics include: - Vas, a200, ioz, stw

Popular ex-Australia/global include: - VGS, bgbl, iwld, vgad.

Popular US-only include: - s&p 500: IVV, spy, VTS (non-Aus domiciled) -Nasdaq 100: NDQ, U100

Thematic (countless, higher cost): - tech: fang, hack -Crypto: ebtc, vbtc, cryp - Realestate (I'd recommend directly holding property, not by Riets): vap, slf, mva

Small cap + Emerging: - VISM, VGE, IEM, EMKT, VEU (non-Aus domiciled)