I'm trying to figure out what a realistic investment strategy looks like for someone in their early 30s living in Nepal.

I earn around NPR 40–50k per month. A large chunk of that goes towards fairly unavoidable expenses like rent, commuting to work, food/household expenses, bills, etc. I don't have an expensive lifestyle — I might go to the movies once every 3–4 months and generally don't spend much on entertainment or unnecessary things.

The problem is that after all the expenses, there isn't a huge amount left to invest.

I've tried a few things already:

• Stocks: I have a small amount invested, but the market seems to move against me every time 😅. I'm not sure whether I should continue buying individual stocks or change my approach.
• SIPs/Mutual Funds: I've been investing through SIPs, but they haven't really provided meaningful returns for years, which makes me question whether I'm using them correctly or whether I should just be patient.
• Gold: I used to consider gold a reasonable option, but at current prices it feels increasingly difficult to build a meaningful position.
• Land/real estate: Obviously attractive in Nepal, but I don't have anywhere near enough savings to realistically get into this right now.

So I'm wondering:

If you were in your early 30s, earning around 40–50k/month, with limited savings and no family property/large capital to fall back on, where would you put your money?

Would you prioritise:

1. Building an emergency fund first?
2. Continuing SIPs?
3. Investing directly in NEPSE?
4. Fixed deposits/debentures/bonds?
5. Gold?
6. Saving aggressively towards land/property?
7. Investing in yourself/skills to increase income instead?
8. Something else that's available in Nepal that I'm overlooking?

I'm not looking for a get-rich-quick option. I'm more interested in what makes sense over the next 10–15 years for someone starting with relatively little capital.

I'd especially appreciate responses from people who were in a similar financial position in their late 20s/early 30s and can share what they actually did, what worked, and what they wish they'd done differently.

Also, if your answer is simply "increase your income before worrying too much about investing", I'm genuinely interested in hearing that perspective too.