Reading books on investing money is a great way to learn more about what you should do at each point in your financial journey. In some respects, it doesn't really matter where you are in your journey because, no matter what you need help with, there's a book that covers it.

Deciding which book to read when, though, can be a bit of a challenge. So we created this huge collection of personal finance books to help with that. Here's how it works:

For as long as I can remember, I have known that I wasn't fit for the corporate world.

Like J.D. Roth, the founder of Get Rich Slowly, I am an introvert, not a fan of authority and even less of structure. So even before I graduated college, I had my mind on one big goal: leave the corporate world as soon as possible. I was working for a big IT multinational in business school; those were not the happiest times, but that job allowed me to graduate debt free, with a small nest egg that I immediately invested to buy my first rental property in cash.

This story is from Karl Boericke. He is the author of The Frugal Berry, money-saving tips of all kinds for home, office, and small business.

In 1990, I was honorably discharged from the Navy and quickly found a job in an electronics manufacturing company as a technician in their test department. While renting an apartment at the time, I wondered how I would ever be able to afford to buy a house with my meager salary. I had heard that buying a duplex was an inexpensive way to live and build equity in a home.

After looking at a few mobile homes and quickly realizing the long-term downside to such an "investment," it became clear that buying a duplex was my best realistic ticket to home ownership. I lucked out in finding a great real estate agent who gave me some sage advice. Even though I could buy a duplex with a VA loan with almost NO cash up-front, she advised me to use an FHA first-time buyer mortgage. This would cost me some money at purchase, but it would give me the possibility of using my VA loan in the future for my "next duplex." This thought stimulated my imagination, and seemed like an impossibility at the moment, but I followed her advice and kept this long-term idea in storage for another time.

Last week, a reader named Matt sent me an article from Chicago Business about how bloggers are quitting what they call a demanding task with few rewards. It's a fascinating story that explores some of the problems with blogging as a money-making enterprise.

The article suggests several reasons that blogs and bloggers fail:

• Blogging isn't as lucrative as people imagine.
• Blogging takes too much time.
• Bloggers aren't willing to share their personal lives.
• Bloggers run out of material.
• It's easier to reach people via Facebook or Twitter.

Leaving aside Twitter and Facebook, all of these are valid concerns.

This Reader Story is from GRS reader Jon, who writes for MoneySmartGuides, a personal finance blog that helps educate people on personal finance so that they can reach their financial dreams. He focuses mainly on investing and paying off debt since those are the two of the most challenging personal finance topics we face.

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. 

Many of us dream of owning our own home. When we finally save up enough for a down payment and buy our first house, the emotions can be overwhelming. If I close my eyes, I can still see myself pushing the key into the lock on the front door of my house for the first time. I went right over to my new home after signing the paperwork. I walked through the empty house, overjoyed and with my mind racing with all of the things I was going to do to make it my own. I can even still smell my house. That was five years ago. I am now in a bigger house, planning on starting a family soon.<

I am obsessed with the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. From the moment I saw the trailer, I knew the movie was meant for me. I was right. The film's bizarre blend of action, philosophy, science fiction, taxes, and juvenile humor feels specifically targeted to me and my brain.

For those unfamiliar, here's a quick plot synopsis.

Evelyn and Waymond Wang own a laundromat. Their business is failing, their marriage is fracturing, and so is their relationship with Joy, their daughter. During a meeting with the IRS, Evelyn is visited by a version of her husband from a parallel universe. He says that the multiverse — all of the many parallel universes — is under attack from an evil being named Jobu Tupaki, and Evelyn is the only one who can save it. The rest of the film is about Evelyn overcoming her skepticism and discovering her true power (and Waymond's).

For most of my life I've worked under the assumption that money buys happiness. It didn't matter how many times I heard critics preach to the contrary, it seemed simple: money will allow me to buy the things that make me happy. Over the last three years my perspective has shifted.

One day I sat down and made a list of all of the things I wanted to do in my life. I realized I'd never put much thought into it, so I wanted to see what would come out. Some of the things — like “Compose a spectacular HDR photo” — were pretty simple. Others items — such as staying at the Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai — were going to be a bit of a challenge. Then there were a few that were downright impossible (go on a Virgin Galactic space flight, for instance).

When I created this list, I had a solid job as a financial analyst. I was making good money. I'd written these things out, but didn't really plan to cross many off anytime in the near future, simply because I didn't have the time. After all, it was probably going to take more than my two weeks of vacation to prepare for my Galactic space flight.

To m

You've probably heard the line about following your passion to the bank. Just do something you love and cash in...right?

As an astute reader of Get Rich Slowly, chances are you also know that there's more to it than that. Lots of people follow their passions and fail to make any money. Meanwhile, others are indeed able to craft a new life for themselves — and earn a lot of money — by pursuing something they love to do and finding a way to craft a business around it. What's the difference between these two groups? What separates those who fail from those who succeed?

Well, it's not about working less, manifesting riches, or waiting for wealth to arrive at your doorstep. It's about making something that improves the state of the world — or at least the lives of a small group of people willing to pay for it. It's about working more, but spending your time on the things you love to do.

My mission at Get Rich Slowly is to help readers achieve personal and financial freedom. I want to help you master your money and your life.

Generally speaking, we focus almost exclusively on the financial side of the things. This week, I'm going to shift gears and share some of the things I've learned about overcoming fear, finding happiness, and achieving personal freedom. (Don't worry. We'll get back to the hard-core financial talk very soon.)

In December's discussion of wealth habits, I talked about what T. Harv Eker calls "financial blueprints". Actually, I talk about them all of the time. Understanding your money blueprint is a vital part of changing your relationship with money.

This article written by Cody is part of the "money stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success -- or failure. These stories feature folks from all stages of financial maturity.

In January, I attended Camp FI in Florida. While most of the attendees were thirty- or forty-somethings pursuing early retirement, one young man stood out. We were all amazed at the presence of Cody Berman, a 21-year-old hustler who defies the Millennial stereotype. Cody works hard, saves tons, and has a vision for his future. I asked if he'd be willing to share his story with GRS readers. Here it is.

From a young age, my parents instilled the value of saving into me. Throughout my early childhood, my father would match my contributions to my savings account dollar for dollar. This made me excited to save birthday money and miscellaneous earnings because the money would double. (Thanks, Dad!)