January is just around the corner...

Did you know January is Financial Wellness Month? Given the interesting economic times of late, perhaps this is a good time to start a blog on the subject. Surprisingly, my last search for a blog on this particular subject didn’t turn up much, but perhaps this could be a useful directory for what other information is available.

One aspect of being well is emotional wellness, and there's no subject more emotional for most people than their finances. Thoughts and feelings about money are as much a part of wellness as diet and exercise. And all three are about discipline and reason.

Let's begin with how Financial Wellness might be defined, and see if there's a consensus. A good working definition can be found on the website of Towson University
( http://wwwnew.towson.edu/counseling/wellness/index_files/financial.htm ) :

People with high financial well-being may have a lot of money or a little, but either way they are able to live within their means, not spending more money than they have. They are aware of where their money goes, and they have a budget that they stick to, as well as a long-range financial plan. They are aware of and meet their financial obligations and generally have a comfortable relationship with money.

This raises several aspects of financial wellness…how much, tracking where it goes, sticking to a budget, and long-range planning.

So how much money does it take to achieve financial wellness? Does a lot of money insure financial wellness? What do you think?