I struggle with money.

However I say that's a large part of my playstyle. I'm a fan of all those "realism" mods in Oblivion including the weight one.

While they're not yet available for Skyrim I self impose those rules on myself. When I raid a dungeon I don't pick up and strip every piece of loot from the fallen. I leave 98% of it on the ground, only ever taking small pocket items and a few extra weapons.

I only carry what I actually could.

Now if I did strip the land of everything not nailed down money wouldn't be an issue, but that's not fun for me. I actually had to SAVE to buy that first house, took me an in-game week or so to do so. Then I had to furnish it! That was another few days. You guys may not find it fun but the sense of reward form actually working and saving for something makes it that much more valuable.

Unless loot changes considerable late game I don't see myself ever being able to afford those expensive homes. That is unless I get married and my wife contributes quite a bit

Does anyone have a link of somewhere I can get help with alchemy

Like I said, go from riften > whiterun > solitude buying all ingredients, and make as high value potions as possible. Use mage/lover stone aswell. Pick every ingredient you come across. Use the trainers, then pickpocket money back from them. Alchemy trainer in whiterun trains to the high levels.

Good to keep in mind. I travel and explore and kill enough I have not had any problems so far. But that could end soon. Just bought my first house and am in the process of upgrading. That seems a big money sink. So ill have to get that up when Im done with other skills.

yes, potions are ridiculously expensive. I remember having this quest to go kill a bandit, dude hit like a truck. Went to get my reward and it was 100 gold. A potion that restores 50hp costs 160 gold, even the cheap 20 hp ones cost 48gold. Even buying potion materials are expensive, the best way to save money is not to spend it buying potions and the like. Quest rewards are abysmal (seriously 2 wine for releasing that lady's shipment in Solitude after spending 143gold to pay for a bribe?).

You can use money to "invest" in businesses if you want your character to go that way.