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This reader story comes from Paul. Some reader stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or failure. These stories feature folks with all levels of financial maturity and income. Want to submit your own reader story? Here’s how.

I’ve always had what I term a “fluid budget”; that is, I always make sure I have more money coming in than going out and I don’t track every penny (though I have a good idea where everything is going). I’ve never made more than $40,000 a year in my lifetime (I’m 34), but I have always worked from the time I was twelve years old. I can also honestly say I’ve never spent more than I’ve earned, thanks to a father who viewed debt as a kind of slavery. Looking back, I’m grateful for this somewhat extreme worldview, as it forced me to be resourceful.

This article is by staff writer Kristin Wong.

(This is Part III in a series about challenging traditional measures of financial success. Part I was The “Ivory Tower”: Reconsidering the college investment. Part II was Challenging traditional measures of financial success: Homeownership.)

It was the first semester of my first year of college. My friend and I were driving around our small town, looking for something to eat. But we didn’t have much money, so our options were limited. Chili’s sounded good, but neither of us could really afford it.

This article is by staff writer April Dykman.

Some personal finance advice is just plain ridiculous. I’m talking about the kind of advice that’s great for filling up a webpage but that had neither saved nor made anyone money ever. Or maybe you could follow it and save money, if you wanted to hate your life.

I’m not entirely innocent, I admit. I’m sure I’ve espoused my share of well-meaning-yet-impractical advice in the last seven years. (Okay, stop searching the archives right now!) But I do try, people. I really do.

So today I wanted to talk about one of these questionable nuggets of advice that I frequently come across: Pay off debt faster by starting a garden.

This article is by editor Linda Vergon.

Remember when 2014 was new? I’d rather not think about it, but more than half the year is behind us already and we’re moving into fall fairly quickly. For me, that’s a good time to start thinking about whether I’m reaching my goals for the year and what I need to do to correct my course.

I would like to be in a position to tackle a “single resolution” every year like J.D. Roth did in his Year of Fitness in 2010. I like the fact that, when you eliminate distractions and focus your energy, it reduces your stress level. That makes a lot of sense, but I don’t fit the criteria J.D. mentioned where “nothing else mattered.”