You'll hear this a bunch if you read a lot on these boards; don't start training unless you have both the time and money to finish it. Don't get more than about 1/3 into a course before you take the FAA writtens. Schedule yourself at least 3 times a week, especially in the off season (winter) up north, you'll be lucky to fly once let alone 3 times most weeks. Lastly, make sure your instructor does his/her job, that is, expect/demand a pre and post flight briefing. If your instructor is flowing from one airplane right to the next, he's not do either of you a favor.