7 signs you’re doing better financially than you think (even if you still feel broke)

by Lachlan Brown | May 13, 2026, 10:55 am

Ever catch yourself doom-scrolling through Instagram, watching friends post about their new cars or exotic vacations, while you’re sitting there calculating if you can afford both groceries AND that Netflix subscription this month?

I’ve been there. In my mid-twenties, I was shifting TVs in a Melbourne warehouse, feeling like my education was completely wasted. Every paycheck felt like it vanished before it even hit my account. Meanwhile, everyone else seemed to have their financial life together.

But here’s what I’ve learned since then: most of us are doing way better financially than we give ourselves credit for. We’re just terrible at recognizing the signs.

The thing about financial progress is that it’s often invisible. It doesn’t always show up as a fat bank account or a shiny new car. Sometimes it’s in the small victories, the habits we’ve built, or the disasters we’ve avoided.

So if you’re feeling broke but somehow still managing to keep your head above water, you might actually be crushing it more than you realize.

Let’s talk about the signs that prove you’re more financially savvy than you think.

1. You haven’t borrowed money from friends or family in months

Remember when you used to hit up your best mate for a “quick loan” until payday? Or that awkward text to mom asking if she could spot you for rent?

If those days are behind you, that’s huge.

Being able to handle your own expenses without leaning on others is a massive win. It means you’ve figured out how to make your income work for your lifestyle, even if it feels tight sometimes.

This independence didn’t happen overnight. You’ve probably made dozens of small adjustments to get here. Maybe you started meal prepping instead of ordering takeout. Maybe you finally canceled those subscriptions you forgot about.

Whatever you did, you’re now standing on your own two feet financially. That’s something worth celebrating.

2. You actually know where your money goes

Can you tell me roughly how much you spent on groceries last month? What about transportation?

If you can answer those questions without breaking into a cold sweat, you’re ahead of the game.

Most people have no clue where their money disappears to each month. They just know it’s gone. But if you’ve got even a rough idea of your spending patterns, you’ve already taken the first step toward financial control.

You don’t need a complicated spreadsheet or fancy budgeting app. Just knowing that you spend too much on coffee or that your gym membership is overpriced puts you miles ahead of someone living in financial denial.

3. You’ve stopped making the same money mistakes

We all have that one financial mistake that taught us a lesson the hard way. Maybe you got burned by a dodgy investment. Maybe you racked up credit card debt buying stuff you didn’t need.

The key isn’t that you never made mistakes. It’s that you learned from them.

If you’ve stopped repeating the same costly errors, that’s growth. You’ve developed financial wisdom through experience, which is way more valuable than any amount in your savings account.

Think about it. How many people do you know who keep making the same money mistakes over and over? The fact that you’ve broken that cycle shows real maturity.

4. You have any emergency fund at all

I know what you’re thinking. “Emergency fund? I can barely cover this month’s expenses!”

But here’s the thing: if you have even $100 stashed away somewhere, you’re doing better than most people.

Studies consistently show that a huge percentage of people couldn’t handle a $400 emergency without borrowing money. So if you’ve got anything saved, even if it’s not the recommended three to six months of expenses, you’re ahead of the curve.

That small cushion means you won’t spiral into debt the moment something unexpected happens. Your car breaks down? You’ve got something to work with. Unexpected medical bill? You’re not completely screwed.

Building that buffer, no matter how small, shows you’re thinking beyond just today. That’s strategic thinking, and it’s a sign of financial intelligence.

5. You’re not adding new debt

When I was working that warehouse job, feeling like my potential was being squandered, I watched coworkers constantly taking out loans for things they couldn’t afford. New phones, holidays, even nights out.

If you’ve stopped adding new debt to your life, you’re winning a battle most people don’t even realize they’re fighting.

Living within your means might not feel glamorous. You might feel broke when you say no to that weekend trip or skip the restaurant meal. But staying out of new debt while managing existing obligations takes serious discipline.

Every month you don’t add to your debt burden is a month you’re actually moving forward, even if your bank balance doesn’t show it yet.

6. You’ve started thinking long-term (even just a little)

Remember when next week felt like forever away? When you couldn’t imagine planning beyond the next paycheck?

If you’re now thinking about where you want to be financially in a year, or even six months, that’s massive progress.

Maybe you’re not investing in your retirement yet. Maybe you don’t have a five-year plan. But if you’re making decisions today based on where you want to be tomorrow, you’ve developed a crucial financial skill.

This might show up in small ways. Buying groceries in bulk to save money next month. Taking on extra hours now to afford something important later. These are the building blocks of financial success.

7. You can sleep at night without money anxiety keeping you awake

This might be the most underrated sign of financial progress.

If you can lay your head on the pillow without your heart racing about money, you’ve achieved something precious. It doesn’t mean you have tons of cash. It means you’ve found a way to manage what you have without letting it destroy your peace of mind.

Financial anxiety is brutal. It affects your health, your relationships, your ability to think clearly. If you’ve figured out how to quiet that anxiety, even while things are tight, you’ve developed coping mechanisms that are worth their weight in gold.

Maybe you’ve accepted that you can’t control everything. Maybe you’ve learned to trust yourself to figure things out. Whatever it is, that mental shift is a sign of real financial maturity.

Final words

Growing up, I watched my parents navigate financial challenges while keeping our family stable. They taught me that being “good with money” isn’t always about having lots of it. Sometimes it’s about being resourceful, resilient, and realistic.

If you recognized yourself in even a few of these signs, you’re doing better than you think. Financial progress isn’t always flashy. It’s often quiet, incremental, and easy to overlook.

Sure, you might not have the savings account you want yet. You might still stress about bills. But if you’re managing your money consciously, learning from mistakes, and slowly building better habits, you’re on the right track.

Your twenties confusion is normal. Feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re broken. And feeling broke doesn’t mean you’re failing.

Sometimes the biggest win is simply staying afloat while you figure things out. And from what I can tell, you’re doing exactly that.

Lachlan Brown

Lachlan Brown is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Brown Brothers Media, a digital publishing network reaching tens of millions of readers monthly. He holds a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies from Deakin University, though his real education came afterward: a warehouse job shifting TVs, a stretch of anxiety in his mid-twenties, and the slow discovery that studying the mind is not the same as learning how to live well. He started experimenting with Buddhist principles during breaks at the warehouse and eventually began writing about what he was learning. That writing became Hack Spirit, a widely read personal development site, and his book Hidden Secrets of Buddhism became a bestseller. His work breaks down complex ideas into frameworks people can apply immediately, whether they are navigating a career change, a difficult relationship, or the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Lachlan splits his time between Singapore and Saigon. He writes about high-performance routines, decision-making under pressure, digital innovation, and the intersection of Eastern philosophy with modern life. His perspective comes from having built things from scratch, failed at some of them, and learned that clarity comes from practice, not theory.