Not having money is a problem (despite what people will try and tell you about investing with no money down) and the secret to that is just plugging away at your savings. Make a deal with yourself to manage your expenses and to pay yourself first by putting aside a percentage of every pay check into a savings or investment account.
I would focus on what you can do right now:
- Use your current job to gain experience and knowledge about real estate.
- Networking. Meet people and learn from them.
- Be open to opportunities. They will come around from time to time and you will see them if you have your eyes open.
That being said, and based on your brief description, I would recommend house hacking to you. You will find many helpful posts and discussions here about the concept but essentially, you and your girlfriend need a place to live. Your first home purchase could be a multifamily (such as a duplex or larger) where you live in one unit and your rent out the other unit(s) and use the rental income to pay off your mortgage.