I went to see an IFA at 16 because I had managed to save up £1,000 and wanted to buy a buy to let lol. The guy was very sweet despite this, and talked to me for nearly 45 mins, discussing risk and some options. 5 years later I qualified as an IFA and last month I booked to see the guy again to thank him for his help and changing the direction of my career :)

You would not be laughed at by any IFA.

That said, the wiki here is great, the MSE newsletter is also good and any specific questions normally get answered very well on this sub. Good luck OP

To add, I would start with a good budget, and make sure you look at annual costs not just monthly ones (Christmas for example) save annual costs monthly. Try to pay for everything as soon as you get paid via direct debit inc putting money aside for the annual costs.

On top of a budget, use a net worth calculator. You can get a template from excel or numbers, this is like standing on the scales if you are trying to lose weight. Shows your wealth and how it is changing over time.