[jcranmer]

The /r/personalfinance flowchart is actually the best summary I've seen on the priority on spending. Some comments I'd add:

* If you run out of money before getting to the employer retirement match, you are living beyond your means and you need to rectify that ASAP.

* Avoid credit card debt especially; the interest rates are not in your favor.

* If you're making tech sector salary, it's probably best to maximize Roth IRA early and hard--you're likely to hit the salary cap on Roth IRA before too long in your career ($120K is when the contribution is reduced; $137K is when it disappears entirely--although note that 401(k) contributions are excluded).

[rgharris]

All good points. Roth vs traditional can be complicated when you think about the long term possibilities (change in tax rates, early withdrawal, lower/higher income in the future, etc.) but definitely max out Roth/Traditional/Backdoor Roth IRA if at all possible after getting max employer 401k match. I like the idea of diversifying with pre and post tax retirement options to an extent. Backdoor Roth IRA is useful for high earners that don't qualify for a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA deduction.