I am 19 years old, in my second semester in college (I am attending a city for the first 2 years being free, then I'll transfer to a UC where I'll have to start paying for my classes). I work part time for 18 hours a week at minimum wage of $16.90/hr. I live in California and I grew up with a dad that always told me to "save all the money you make" so I have. I've worked for a little over 8 months now and I have $4.7k saved in my bank account (Bank of America). I recently started paying my parents $500 (rent money because we are moving soon), \~$224 in car insurance, and I put in $100 into QQQ in Fidelity a month (I have \~$2900 into it).
I was told by my dad to just keep feeding into it and making sure to check once and a while to make sure nothing cray's going on with it.
My question is what else can I be doing? In my eyes, I have money standing still, not really doing anything for me but collecting dust waiting to be spent.
I want to know if theres a way I can set aside some of it for retirement, I remember hearing something about a ROTH IRA or something like that that can make me compound intrest if I put money into it? I'm not 100% sure on it though because theres really no such thing as 'easy money'.
As of now, I'm going to school, making money, and living with my parents (they pay for food, and the other varous types of insurance). I also am in no sort of debt if that helps.
I know there is no such thing as 'do this to get rich' but I want to be directed in the right area given my curent situation. Any advice is welcomed because I have but a grain of knolege as of now on the matter.