Help please

I've been playing this game on and off for the last year and a half and I've seen people whove had an account about as long as me and are more than double my level and are doing really well for themselves financially whilst I cant even figure out where to start I do have a general knowledge of the game but there's still so much I don't understand I'm not asking for donation or any type of handout I just wanna be able to progress if someone could reach out to me that'd be awesome

There are loads of guides in the "tutorial and guides" section of the forums that offer insight into what you should be doing.

Aside from that, best advice I could give is finding a good faction. Perks aren't necessarily the best thing to look for at first, find one that suits your playstyle and that tries to help you out. This will help keeping you motivated.

And keep in mind that Torn is a game for the long run, you won't see results soonish, but that's part of the beauty of this game.

This isn't really a game you can only play whenever you want to. The people you're comparing yourself to log in every day at the very minimum. As much as I love this game, there aren't very many ways to play it and be labeled as successful. About 5* really and they overlap a lot, with most people doing at least 3 things on the list. 

As Tugarambo said, the best and easiest way is to find a good faction as early as possible. The guides will help you pick a specific play style. It really just depends on what you want to focus on. 

*1. Faction Warfare, 2. Company Ownership, 3. Selling your Company specials, 4. Trade (Imports and crates), 5. Community event participation. 

Does your faction even try to train you or teach you how this works? I joined my faction for that explicit reason, to get stronger and learn the ropes, and frankly there is no better faction for it. Maybe just find better mentors. 

It's really hard cause there are no guides or anything!

In my sweaty dreams a god king warrior holds me in his arms and whispers Tornian wisdom to me, Oh Baldrs I say but I don't know why

Suddenly this huge mentally divergent wyvern sweeps me into the air and he bellows ' This shall be you main game!! '

But then the scene shifts suddenly to a ramshackle cheap motel room outside Reno. I have a camera around my neck and I am surrounded by feet pics. But the male prostitute is dead of a kyemind overdose and I cannot remember my name.

I awake to avoid breeze in my tent outside boulder. Your roommate is out there with a brass knife. She wants her mattress back.

And you need help?

Joining a faction is absolutely the key to learning to play most elements of the game. Especially for newer players. Any faction should be helping their newer players and should have active faction chat where literally any questions can be asked.

Try flying and buying flowers and plushies or whatever is more profitable at the time 

rent a PI with airstrip if you don’t have

get large suitcase

then fly lots , and buy and sell

that’ll get ya started while you figure out more and better ways of earning some torn $

You'll never be better than a chump if you play the game like a chump. 

Off and on is not a good strategy, login every day, read the guides available, and build your character.

You'll find yourself better off with some marginal effort.