9 questions to ask about your finances
Get a reality check on your bottom line, and learn how to increase your financial stability.
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Some people stress unnecessarily about money when they’re in great financial shape, while others have a devil-may-care attitude and spend without preparing for the future. Lots of people fall somewhere in between. Whatever your approach, it’s important to take a periodic look at your overall financial picture to see how you’re really doing.
The first thing is to ask yourself how you feel about your finances. Do you worry about making ends meet every month? Are you afraid to buy even small items because you don’t know if you have enough to pay for them? Do you feel like you are slipping behind every year instead of getting ahead? Money-related stress can take a serious toll on your health. Or are you confident in the way you manage your money and view it as a resource that helps you live your life the way you want?
Considering how you feel about your finances is a start. But to really determine how you’re doing you must look at all the basic areas of your financial health. Answering these questions can give you a quick snapshot of how you’re doing with managing money.
Sally Herigstad is a certified public accountant, personal finance expert and author of Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills: Surviving a Financial Crisis.
Medically reviewed in January 2020.