Regarding the investing portion, you should also think about real estate as a way to generate passive income. The nice thing is that the value also rises with inflation. The goal here would be cash-flow generating rental property. Right now it's difficult to find deals in many parts of the US because the fed has created another bubble in the real estate market. However, if you can find a good deal then jump on it. You can probably also find some good markets inside and outside of the US.