Money is something that envelops our entire life. We all know this, but many of us fall into the trap of debt and overspending without even knowing it. Feeling like you never have enough money or living paycheck to paycheck can lead to serious end problems that can and will easily extend into a lifetime of financial hardship. Good financial management and good financial habits go in the same direction. These skills can make your life easy or difficult financially. It all depends on the skills one develops now as a teenager. Money management is not a completely restrictive thing. Many skills learned can be used to help friends and family experiencing financial difficulties. It all starts with seeing the problem clearly. From there, problems can be corrected and carried forward throughout life. Financial management is an important skill that affects all aspects of our lives and help is available for those who do not have this knowledge. One of the most difficult aspects of financial management is actually seeing the problem and its cause. Overspending is a big source of financial management problems. This is often the root cause. According to Junior Achievement on page 3 of Teen Survey, in 2004, teens spent $169 billion on everything from clothing (33%) to food (21%). What the statistics don't show is how much money was saved or how much of that $169 billion was spent wisely. Signs of overspending would be feeling like you're running out of money or never having money. A clear sign is giving in to impulsive or unplanned purchases. This inability to control ourselves when a store overspends and overspending leads to a deeper, darker valley of debt. For many teens, debt is something we don't think about, but how many teens owe... middle of paper ... are both good magazines with periodic advice, stories and ideas for teenagers on money management. . Help is there when you need it and never be afraid to seek it. Money is a serious thing and places like FISC show that and help get people on the path to smarter money. Money really takes over our whole life. From car loans to saving and spending at the mall, we need money in many ways to move forward. Falling into traps can be scary at first, but there are ways to get out of them. Financial management is an important skill that affects all aspects of our lives and help is available for those who do not have this knowledge. Getting out of debt and reducing expenses are all ways to make your financial situation easier, but saving and investing help in the long term. Remember one key fact: the amount of money earned should never exceed the amount of money spent..