Money Tips Network

I have a long term goal of publishing a novel. I’ve always enjoyed writing fiction, but I’ll often write short stories or novellas and find myself really dissatisfied with them, so I’ll toss them aside. I’ve written a few novel-length pieces too and felt the same way – I was just never happy with them.

Still, I hold onto that long-term goal. I want to achieve it. I’m willing to commit a lot of time to it. I just can’t quite make it happen.

The big reason is that the goal seems too big, too distant. I feel like my current writing is so far away from what I would need to make this work that it’s just… insurmountable.

I actually have a few giant goals like this that seem insurmountable. They feel so big and so far off in the distance that, on a given day, I really don’t feel like I can reach them.

When I spend too much time focusing on how huge those goals are, I don’t even try.

This reader story comes from Tina Sullivan. 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.

Growing up with “financially conservative” parents, I was taught to follow a budget, to save for emergencies, and to live within my means. As a teenager, I was required to get a job which mostly went to my savings account for future expenses like paying for a car and tuition.  Although I was frustrated many times because I couldn’t even afford needs, the tradeoff was worth it since I was able to pay for college without taking out any student loans and paid cash for a used car (thanks to rent-free living with my parents).

Each week, I highlight ten things each week that inspired me to greater financial, personal, and professional success. Hopefully, they will inspire you as well.

1. Thomas Fuller on the differences between people

“The real difference between men is energy. A strong will, a settled purpose, an invincible determination, can accomplish almost anything; and in this lies the distinction between great men and little men.” — Thomas Fuller

If you set a goal and really work for it, you’re already far ahead of the curve.

2. Andrew Solomon on the worst times of our lives

Often, those low moments help define who we are.

3. Buddha on truth

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth. Not going all the way and not starting.” – Buddha

If an emergency arrived in your life, could you come up with $2,000 in cash to cover that emergency?

Believe it or not, if you’re an American, it’s a coin flip as to whether or not you could pull this off. According to this study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, “approximately one quarter of Americans report that they would certainly not be able to come up with such funds, and an additional 19% would do so by relying at least in part on pawning or selling possessions or taking payday loans.”

At some point in our lives, almost all of us are going to face some sort of financial shock that’s going to require us to come up with $2,000 (or more) very quickly. Half of us are going to be unable to do that, which puts that group in an extremely precarious position.

Could you do it? Are you in the “safer” half of that question? Or are you in the more dangerous half?

It’s the height of home repair season, a time when established contractors are often in demand and unavailable. That’s a big opportunity for the fly-by-night operators to step in.

Hiring a contractor to do work on your home, whether it’s a relatively small job or a major renovation, is a big deal. For most consumers, your home is your biggest investment. It should be treated with the level of respect that comes along with that.

Just like you wouldn’t want some quack of a doctor to perform surgery on you, you don’t want someone with questionable skills to be operating on your home. On top of that, if you do end up with a shady “contractor” you not only run the risk of poor work you also are taking a chance on getting ripped off.

Scams in the home improvement business have been around for a long time. They’re finely tuned and very focused on getting consumers at their points of maximum vulnerability.

Silver coins are easier to find than you might think.  My son and I recently began collecting coins – and we are finding silver coins. The cool thing is – we are finding these (partially) silver coins while sorting through rolls of commonly used U.S. coins.

We have learned that sorting through rolls of coins is often referred to as coin roll hunting.  Pretty cool.

Once or twice a week, we’ll go to the bank and get a few rolls of coins – some dimes, nickels, and quarters.  If the bank has them, we’ll also get some half-dollars.  We’ll come home and hunt through the rolls for any interesting – or valuable – coins.

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on eating well on the cheap, saving on airline fees, and the best and worst cities for savers.

Top 5 Articles

4 Ways to Eat Well on the Cheap — Growing your own food can help you eat well on the cheap. [US News & World Report]

How to save money on airline fees — To save money on airline fees, decide what your priorities are when you fly. [Five Cent Nickel]

Whether you're looking to get fit or just need a change of pace, scoping out gyms can be fun. And if you plan carefully, you could get up to a month (or more!) of gym memberships for free. Below is a list of nationwide gyms that offer low-cost (or even free!) passes up to 30 days in length. Simply start at one club and work your way around the rest to maximize your sweat sessions — and your savings. (See also: Legit Ways to Use the Gym for Free)

Whether it's eating or not eating, giving up shoes for good or spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on shoes, extreme people do extreme things. You'll be surprised what people get up to when they take things to their logical conclusion. Here are seven extreme habits of extremely extreme people. (See also: Lessons in Simple Living From Extreme Minimalists)