I would try to make a budget possibly using a service like Mint or Rocket Money. Determine where your money goes and cut back on areas where you can spend less. You should treat yourself sometimes but don’t overdue it. Create a balance and you’ll be happy and financially stable.

That’s not a horrible mentality because it’s true but you are here right now and will need money in the future so it’s important to save.

if you’re saving for a house you should research teacher home loan programs in your state. Many states offer those programs to help get teachers homes as teachers pay often leave them left out of getting a decent home. For your home savings goal you should save for that in a HYSA or CD’s.

You should ensure you have an emergency fund in a HYSA account (eg. Sofi, Ally).

If you have any debt like credit cards work on paying those off AFTER building up the emergency fund. If you have student loans as a teacher look into the PSLF program if your loans are federal.

I would also consider checking to see if your employer has matching contributions to a 403(b) or 457(b) plan. I would of course max out the IRA first but if you max it out the next step in saving for your retirement would be contributing to one of those above mentioned plans. Be forewarned though you may or may not know this but 403(b) plans are known to have high fees with products like annuities and managed accounts. You can use a website called 403bwise.org to compare 403(b) providers. If you employer doesn’t offer a good 403(b) plan check out the 457(b) or push HR at your school to add a better provider you can get fellow teachers to help support you in this effort. You said you are investing on the side which is good however you may consider diverting more income into a tax advantaged plan.