These days we can’t change the channel without having the latest infomercial torture gadgets AKA, the latest craze of fitness equipment thrust upon our guilty consciences.

We’re bombarded with messages touting the importance of physical fitness through the news, in newspapers, the internet and via radio on a daily basis. We all know that physical fitness is important especially with the media exposure its afforded but how often do you hear about the importance of our financial fitness?

Physical fitness only covers one arena of our multi faceted personas, to enjoy the full potential from life we need to take a holistic approach and have other areas in balance, finances is one of them.

Take our financial fitness test and see how you measure up. Just like taking any other quiz it will only be effective if you answer honestly.

1. Do you have a budget?, if so are you sticking to it faithfully?

2. Do you miss bill payments because the money was used for other things? Does a considerable chunk of your wages go towards paying your bills?

3. Do you have an active savings account? Do you save for things you want or do you go ahead and buy them regardless if you can’t afford them?

4. Do you often worry about money to the point where it effects your sleep?

Small things that can make a dramatic difference to the amount of money you have at the end of the day can be as simple as having a budget. If you plan to pay for things and budget for them you can keep on top of your finances, you can account for every dollar you earn. The only way a budget can work effectively is to stick to it, you’ll accomplish your financial goals of paying off bills faster and reducing your debt quicker.

If your money is not going towards meeting your financial commitments but being redirected elsewhere, then you need to do something about that. Starting with a budget is a great first step, that way you can foresee unexpected extra bills and plan accordingly. If a considerable amount of your income goes towards covering your bills then perhaps you need to increase your income, a part-time job may be the solution to cover your temporary financial shortfall. If you’re still struggling to cope with your debt, then consolidation might be for you, condensing your payments into one, making your debt more manageable.

Did you know that we live in a plastic orientated society? Less and less people are paying with cash now, another emerging trend is that people are becoming less likely to save their money and more likely to purchase using credit, in fact, our ancestors from the depression era were better savers than we were even though they had less money. Get tough, get disciplined. Put away 10-15% of your net income each payday, that’s how much you have left over after taxes. Set up a special savings account designated just for your savings. You do this and you’ll sleep better, you know deep down that if an emergency arises, and they always do, you will be better equipped to deal with it.

Take a page from the book of our ancestors, what they couldn’t afford, they simply didn’t get. Get tough with yourself and know that your money is going towards getting you out of debt faster which beats the feeling of a new pair of anything, hands down!

If you’re unable to sleep with the amount of debt circling round in your head you know you’re financially over stretched and over committed. Follow the steps above, in addition, depending upon how dire your circumstances, for peace of mind you may want to consider consolidation, as previously mentioned or even debt counseling to help put your debts into a more manageable perspective.

If you huffed and puffed and are a little financially unfit, that’s okay, life’s about learning and improving not for worrying about things that are within your control. With the right guidance and assistance, anybody can take stock of their finances and turn it to their advantage.

Annette Miller knows for a fact how frustrating being in debt can be, having formerly been in debt herself she is passionate in helping others break free from theirs and has dedicated a blog covering topics ranging from Debt Consolidation to Budgeting and Finance. www.debtreduceinfo.blogspot.com