Investing in an index fund, to me, is akin to doomscrolling your finances. Accounting for inflation you're netting around 6-7% (lol!) a year, so assuming you have around $50,000 in savings you'd make something like $3,000 a year or $250 a month. Here's how I would deploy $50,000:
But okay, maybe you don't have the time to recruit and train a legion of third graders. What should you do with your savings? Spend it. No, seriously. If you really aren't able to look for, or start an enterprise that nets more than $250 a month (with $50k!), you should invest in yourself. Buy back some mental bandwidth, bid more highly for your time. It's merely money. Then, go on that trip, eat somewhere nice, maybe even give it away. Just don't lock it up. Your investments may seem liquid, but you'll hesitate to sell, and the amount of money you have available to spend on being happy effectively decreases.
You are higher leverage than the SP500. Apply some thought.
Email me if you want me to write about the funds that are good.