Are You Getting the Right Values for Your Money

How you spend and manage money is a tangible way to measure your values.

1. Are you able to keep the promises that you make?

When you borrow money you are making a promise to the person or financial institution that you borrow from to pay the money back. Is it more important to keep your promises to your friends and family who probably won''t legally make you pay the money back or is it more important to pay the financial institution that can ruin your credit score and will more likely use legal options. Perhaps you honor all of your obligations in an equal fashion, either trying your best to keep your promises or breaking your word.

2. How much money do you give back to others?

There is usually a correlation between the percentage of your money that you give to others who are less fortunate and the amount of time that a person volunteers to help others. The percentage of money that you give also will give you an idea of how self centered that you are. If you do not give a large percentage of money it does not make you a bad or a mean person, it just may be time to reflect upon what you truly believe in.

3. Are you a spender or a saver?

This is an area where moderation is probably the best thing to strive for. People who never have two nickels to rub together are living in the moment with no sense of what the future will bring. They are more likely to live the rest of their lives this way by making decisions with out properly measuring the potential future impact. Many adults with ADD are prone to these impulsive decisions and need to pay special attention before making any big decision. People who save every penny never truly live in the moment and deny themselves of the little joys of life.

The most important thing that you should take from this article is that the way you mange your money often tells a lot more about your values than what you say or what you tell yourself that you believe. How you spend your money is physical proof of your values. The good news is that you can change your habits with money to reflect the values that you want to have.

John MacKenzie is the assistant director of ADD Classes. He also writes a blog titled Adult ADD and Money.