I'll offer what I would do. As has been said below most people will have some sort of similar list. Granted we are all different and being 20 is a lot different than being 50 But, here we go.

1. Pay off unsecured debt, ie credit cards. DO NOT CLOSE THE ACCOUNTS. Your credit score is in part based on how long you have the cards. This interest hole is a giant money suck. If you have a lot of credit card debt, get into the habit of not racing up those bills and paying that sweet, sweet 30% interest into my bank stocks.

2. If you do not already have one, find a financial company that will let you open a ROTH IRA. This is money you save for retirement that you put away pre-taxes. The money you pull out after you retire is in most cases not taxable. Most of these companies will have....

3. Index funds like these for example. These are very boring, low fees (less than .5% a year or better) that match the stock market. You won't make 30% a year, and you will also not lose your shirt when we have another crash like in '08. Always look at the fee load. This will be somewhere in the small print. My fund's fees are .15% a year. This means that if you earn .15% on the money (AKA the economy tanks), you have broken even and made enough to pay the fund managers. (I'm earning 11% this year so I more than broke even)

4. Final thing to think about. Have 6 months take-home in a cash account. This is your "OH SHIT" fund. This money is never touched. NO trips, no shopping, no impulse buying. This is the money you use if you lose a job. This is the money you use to buy out of a lease and pay to move if you get offered a dream job across the country and have to move in 30 days. This is the money to fix the transmission or engine in the car if it goes south. This is the money to pay for travel to a job interview.

This is the money to pay for 1st and last month rent and security deposit to get out of the barrio. This money gives you options. Options help lower stress and make the quality of your life better. This six month buffer should be item #2 after paying off the credit cards. If money comes out of this account, then you better darn well put money right back in before anything else. Pay yourself first, then go have fun.

If you have a 401(k) at work, start contributing to it and learn to spend less than you earn. The money in a savings account is insured up to 250K. Assuming for example that you just got 100K, I'd mad your Roth this year and next, max your 401(K) which gives you a tax savings, pay off the unsecured debt and put 5K into a lottle fund and do something fun with it. Fun but not outrageous.

The best gift you can give yourself with the money is learn spending discipline and delayed gratification. Then when you are 50 you can see the numbers growing and know that you have a retirement and have a LOT of stress off you. Spending discipline is the best gift you can give yourself, you cannot buy it, but this skill pays more than just about any other advice you will get.

Otherwise I agree with just about everything in the thread.