Are You The Red Flag in Your Relationship With Money?

I’ve always thought I had a decent handle on my finances. I wasn’t out here making reckless money moves, I paid my bills (eventually), and I tried to save when I could. But if I’m being honest, my relationship with money has always been a little… complicated.

It wasn’t until I listened to the Date Your Money conversation that I realized I had been avoiding some hard financial truths. We talk so much about red flags in relationships, but what about the red flags in how we handle money? Because after watching that conversation, I had to admit—some of the biggest issues in my finances weren’t about how much I was making, but about how I was managing (or not managing) what I already had.

The Financial Check-In I Didn’t Know I Needed

One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation? The importance of a financial health check. I check in on my friendships, my career, even my screen time—but when was the last time I checked in on my money?

For a long time, I thought as long as I wasn’t drowning in debt, I was doing okay. But then I started asking myself some real questions:

Do I actually know my credit score?
Am I spending with intention or just hoping I have enough by the end of the month?
What emotional triggers cause me to overspend?

I had no real answers. Just vibes and wishful thinking.

The Credit Score Reality Check

Let’s talk about credit scores—because, before this, I was definitely in the "ignorance is bliss" camp. I knew having a good credit score was important, but I never really thought about why or how mine was doing.

Hearing how much power that little number holds over things like loan approvals, interest rates, and even renting an apartment made me realize I needed to start paying attention. And not just paying attention, but actually building my credit the right way—by keeping my credit utilization low, making payments on time, and not being afraid to use credit responsibly.

Because avoiding credit altogether? Turns out, that’s not the flex I thought it was.

Red Flags vs. Green Flags in My Money Habits

Listening to the conversation, I realized I had a mix of both red and green flags in my financial habits. Some things I was doing right, and others… well, let’s just say they needed some work.

Red Flags I Need to Work On:

Avoiding looking at my bank account balance because I knew I had been overspending
Only paying the minimum on my credit card and thinking I was doing something smart
Letting my emotions dictate my spending—whether it was "I had a bad day" shopping or "I deserve this" purchases
Telling myself I’d start budgeting “next month” (and then never actually doing it)

Green Flags I Want to Strengthen:

Paying my bills on time (mostly!)
Actually caring about where my money goes instead of spending on autopilot
Being open to learning more about money, instead of just assuming "I’m bad with numbers"
Prioritizing financial security over short-term gratification (even if it’s hard sometimes)

I won’t pretend I have it all figured out now, but this conversation was the wake-up call I needed. I don’t want to just survive financially—I want to thrive. And that means: