What you shouldn't spend your money on:

Non-targeted facebook ads: In my (slightly delusional) mind, I wanted to grow my audience worldwide and didn't care too much about growing a local audience or bringing people to my shows. It would have been smarter to narrow down my reach to local people who are more likely to come to my shows and buy my music.
Sonicbids/Reverbnation: I'm not saying you can't get opportunities from these platforms (and I did!), but I don't think it was worth the money I put into it. It's like...American Idol. You're going to have a much better chance of making it if you do your own thing and build your career on your own, than if you flock to where the masses are all competing with each other. That's why people like Tori Kelly have built incredibly successful careers on their own after being rejected by American Idol.
Songwriting competitions: This is kind of the same concept as my last point. I'm not trying to be in competition with other songwriters. I'd rather spend my time trying to find the right people who will love my music. Some people will love my songs. Some people will think they're crap. And that's okay! Being a musician isn't about being "better" than all the other artists out there, it's about expressing yourself and finding those people who connect with your music. I'm not saying songwriting competitions are bad, but I don't think they're the wisest investment in your career. And I think approaching your music with a competitive mindset is a dangerous place to be.

What you should spend your money on:

An electronic press kit: You'll need this to start booking gigs, so this should be the first thing you worry about. Maybe start with a free EPK platform at first and then move over to your website.
A website and email list: Once you have all your social media accounts created and have started growing an audience, then it would be time to invest in a website. A website is a great way to get fans on your email list, promote any news or new music, and just make you look like an overall professional.
Highly targeted facebook ads: Have a show coming up? Promote it to local people who "like" that venue. Or fans of other local artists who are similar to you. Lots of people love supporting local music and discovering new artists, and those are the people you want to get in front of!