If you want your money to work well for you, then your money must be treated with respect. This means being careful and responsible with your money, keeping track of it, not wasting or losing it unnecessarily, and thinking about money positively.

Some of the ways that people can disrespect themselves and their money are: spending more money on birthday and Christmas presents than they can afford; spending more money on friends than they can afford; buying takeout or eating out because they don’t bother to cook; not paying bills on time or paying too late to get a discount; not look for lower prices on goods and services; withdraw extra money every time they make an EFTPOS purchase; spending money in their wallets just because it’s there. People who don’t respect their money will find it slipping out of their hands too easily and wonder where it has gone. Such people are careless with their money. People who respect their money, on the other hand, are generally more aware of how much they have, how much they can afford to spend, and how to get the most out of it. Here is a test for you. Take out your wallet or purse. Before you open it, try to guess how much money is in bills and coins. Now open it. You were right? Now take a look at how your money is organized. Are the bills neatly arranged or folded crooked? Are the coins kept in order, or maybe they are scattered around your bag, your clothes, or even your house instead of being kept in a wallet or purse? The way you store your money is often a sign of how much you respect it.

The way we treat money often has its roots in our childhood and the things our parents taught us about money. Some of the most common sayings about money that may sound familiar to you are: “Money is the root of all evil”, “Money can’t buy your love (happiness, friendship, etc.)”, “It’s my money ; I’ll do what I want with it”, “there’s no free lunch”, “buying for quality is worth it”, “you get what you pay for” and so on the list goes on. How have these sayings influenced your behavior or attitudes toward money? Often what we have learned or experienced in our childhood can cause us to have fears and anxieties about money. You may be afraid that you will not be able to keep up with your mortgage payments, afraid that you will make a mistake with your money and lose everything you have, afraid of supporting your children, afraid of losing your job and not being able to pay your bills, or fear of not having enough money to live on when you retire. Worrying about money not only prevents us from reaching our full potential, but it makes us doubt the goodness of all things, which can promote a vicious cycle of unhappiness and a feeling of never having enough. One way around this is to start being positive about money. The power of positive thinking has been used effectively in many areas of personal development. Try using positive affirmations about money in your life, for example, “I have more money than I will ever need,” “I am completely debt free,” or “I am successful in managing my money.” In short, respect your money, be positive about it, but first of all, get your wallet in order!