Should savings come before investing?

Detailed Explanation

Generally yes, in the sense that an emergency fund comes first. The order most plans use is: cover necessities, build a cash buffer, clear high-interest debt, then invest. The buffer exists so that an unexpected expense does not force you to sell investments at a bad moment or return to borrowing — without it, the investing step is fragile. High-interest debt sits above investing for arithmetic reasons: a guaranteed saving equal to the interest rate is hard to beat with an uncertain return. Where exactly the line falls depends on the rate and on your own tolerance, which is why ranking your goals explicitly matters more than any single rule of thumb.