Ain’t Everything

MONEY IS IMPORTANT. But how do we ensure it has the right importance in our life—and no more? Here are 11 signs we’ve got it about right:

1. We aren’t jealous of others or lust after the things they have.
2. We borrow when we must—but we never borrow so much that we stress ourselves out today or put our future self at risk.
3. We consciously spend a little less today so we enjoy the long-run happiness that comes with money in the bank and the knowledge that we can cope with financial adversity.
4. When there’s a big down day in the financial markets, we might feel anxious—but it doesn’t wreck our day or ruin our sleep.
5. We view money as a way to improve our life, rather than as an obstacle that constantly holds us back.
6. We spend after pondering the alternatives—but, truth be told, thoughts of spending don’t consume much of our time.
7. We don’t fret about how we’ll pay the monthly bills or how we’ll cope with surprise expenses.
8. When we look at our portfolio, we feel more contentment about what we have than fear about what the future might bring.
9. We usually spend without guilt or subsequent regret.
10. We know what our financial goals are and we’re confident we’ll get there.
11. We feel we’re in charge of our finances—not the other way around.

Follow Jonathan on Twitter @ClementsMoney and on Facebook. His most recent articles include Bad Influence, Never Assume and Future Shock

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