If you feel your finances control you instead of you controlling your finances, ask yourself the following questions. If your answer is "yes" to the majority of these questions, you may want to consider altering your current spending habits.

1. Are you still paying bills from purchases made a year ago?
   
2. Do you use credit cards even when the purchase is small and you have the cash?
   
3. Is your checking account frequently overdrawn?
   
4. Do you race to the bank to deposit your paycheck before the checks come in?
   
5. Have you stopped having, or adding to, a savings account?
   
6. Do you sometimes wonder why you made a particular purchase?
   
7. Do you feel "out of control" when faced with a buying decision?
   
8. Do you "juggle" payments to keep creditors satisfied?
   
9. Are your credit accounts usually at the maximum credit line?
   
10. Do you ever feel free to spend more after clearing up a debt?
    
11. Are you surprised at how much interest you pay creditors annually?
    
12. Do you hope that your children will handle money better than you do?
    
13. Would a small reduction in your income or an unusual expense force you to neglect your obligation to creditors?