Financial Fitness_square

Be Financially Fit

11/01/2023 Written by: Kristine Simmons

To be financially fit, shift your money mindset and set goals for yourself and your family. Manage and prioritize your spending and create sustainable habits to last your lifetime and pass those along to future generations.

The basic components of financial fitness

  1. Spend – to spend wisely, you should have a budget. A budget can help you improve your spending habits.
  2. Save – life can make saving difficult at times. In general, try to aim to save a minimum of 10% of your monthly income. If that is not feasible with where you’re at in life right now, save what you can.
  3. Borrow – try to keep your debt less than 15% of your income (excluding mortgage). If you’ve got credit card debt, pay it down as soon as you can.
  4. Plan – Ask yourself where you see yourself financially in five years and where you’d like to be? Planning helps you create a healthy financial future. 

To improve your financial fitness, play your bills on time and in full if you can. Set realistic payment amounts and timeframes for paying off debt. Save for the unexpected and for your long-term goals. Be sure to allocate a portion of your monthly budget to fun and entertainment – it’ll help you stay on track!

To be financially fit, balance your income and expenses, stay out of debt, save for the future, and understand your emotions as they pertain to money. We always seem to make New Year’s resolutions about our health and fitness. This coming year, make financial health a priority as well.

We can help you stay financially fit. Contact us at APAdvisors.com or at 866.515.2742.

seize the day grid
Seize the Day
Financial Wellness10/22/2025

When people are asked to predict what their lives will be like in the future, their imagined outcomes are usually colored by psychological biases. One of them is the belief that they will be a...

regret grid
How to Harness Anticipated Regret
Financial Wellness10/08/2025

Financial regret is common. In one nationally representative study in which people were asked to name a significant life regret, finances made the top five most mentioned. Ranking ahead of...

Isolation Grid
Three Big Things People Struggle with in Retirement
Financial Wellness09/03/2025

Saving for retirement is a big challenge. In order to be able to live without a job, a person needs to accumulate a significant nest egg of assets that can be turned into cash flow. To do this...