A man turned out to be his empty pockets, around 1948. (Photo of FPG / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
You have probably seen or participated in this kind of personal funding decisions: buy a beautiful watch, talk smooth and bring big dreams – while being financially far from stability. So how do you know when you are in this situation? Let’s decompose it – with receipts.
1) You live on lifestyle credit: You take dinner in a fancy restaurant, but dodge your student loan payments. It is not wealth – it is the cosplay of debt.
In fact, almost 60% of American credit card holders The live pay check at the payroll check and half of the renewable credit card debt for months to the next, according to a bench report in 2024.
Ask yourself: spend money, or just slide and pray?
2) You are always between something: Perhaps you are “between projects”, the “launch of a startup” or “while waiting for a great opportunity”.
In March 2025, overall unemployment is low, 4.2% for adults. It means most of them work – if you or someone you know don’t do it, ask why.
3) You use relationships to dodge the conversation on money: When you ask questions about finances, you or someone you draw the card “Love is not on money”. It can be cute but deceptive.
According to the Financial analysts of the divorce InstituteMoney is one of the main causes of divorce in the United States, just behind infidelity and incompatibility. If you can’t talk about money from the start, it’s not romance – it’s a red flag.
4. You praise assets even if you miss them: Crypto, NFT or providential investment are all fashionable words, but what happens if they came without real retirement savings?
You are not alone. A huge 45% of American households Do not have any retirement savings. It is not “early” – who ignores the bases.
Ask yourself: do you work on a real wallet or do you just tweet on Dogecoin?
5. You move quickly and stay around others: Habits such as the use of someone else’s Wi-Fi, eating their shopping or asking to take their car is not a path to financial stability.
And this trend increases: a study in 2021 by the US Census Bureau found that a third of adults aged 18 to 34 lived at home.
Translation: Some people struggle in adulthood – and could depend on someone else to improve their situation. So do not confuse confidence with capacity.
Ask yourself:
- Do me or that person with whom I have a financial basis – or just a fantasy?
- Am I building with a partner – or take care of the other person?
Love should make your life easier – not more expensive.