Just as physical health makes a better life than being unusually tall or a popular kind of attractive, so financial health is a different thing than wealth. Just look at the athletes who become wealthy at a young age and then die poor. What they needed, what we all can benefit from, is financial health, something that doesn’t require a specific level of income or assets.
A financially healthy person knows when to stop. When to stop recreational shopping, gambling, spending on games or collectibles, when to stop letting money seep away without noticing where it went.
A financially healthy person looks ahead farther than the next paycheck. They realize that unexpected expenses aren’t really unexpected. We know to expect a car repair or a medical bill, but we don’t know when to expect it. The healthy response is to save up as if you knew it was coming next month, since it might. They start saving a little for retirement as early as their thirties. They put aside 1/6th of the car insurance bill each month so when the half-year bill comes, they are ready.
A financially healthy person addresses emotional problems with appropriate solutions instead of covering them with the temporary thrill of a new purchase.
Adventures in Frugal Living 