Essentially, money is a tool. It is a means of security; one way of letting us enjoy doing things with ourselves, our friends and families. Unfortunately, for many, it can also cause stress and even a source of fear.

In fact, you and your money can develop a relationship that can be toxic and consuming, and it may not be obvious when you reach that point. Here are some of the red flags that you may already be living in an unhealthy relationship and your money.

1. You spend a lot when you feel
When you feel down or extremely happy about something, do you often go on a shopping spree? While there is nothing wrong with treating yourself occasionally, it can be a destructive behavior when it becomes a habit. Instead of spending a lot every time, invite friends over for drinks and dishing out your emotions, or find other ways to life your spirit like going to the gym or calling beau to vent out.

2. You pay your bills at the last minute
Are you pushing the bills to its deadliest deadline because you just want to see a bigger balance in your bank account, or perhaps you’re afraid that maybe you’ll be needing that money somewhere else? Whatever your reason is, you are creating stress you do not need to have. Budget your money and strictly stick to it. You’ll be happier with a bank account will balance that’s all yours and not for your bills.

3. You spend your money before you get it
You just got paid yesterday and you are already pushing your bills to the next paycheck, so you have more room for expenses now. Yes, emergencies happen and such financial strategy in unavoidable. However, if you’re doing this every single time, then there’s something seriously wrong.

4. You hide purchases form your partner
Little white lies may not hurt. However, when it comes to financial matters, small lies can snowball and eventually become bigger problems. If you regularly hide major purchases from your spouse, it is usually a sign of problematic spending behavior. Hiding or lying about purchases with your significant other is a form of financial infidelity and can potentially cause a rift in the relationship, not to mention being damaging to your financial health.

5. You’re constantly broke
You are either don’t have a realistic budget or you’re living beyond your means. Either way, you are always living life paycheck to paycheck, without real plan on how to make your money work for you. Can this be easily fixed? It depends on your determination and the underlying problem. Rest assure, if you do not find solution to it, that roller coaster is going to fly off its trach sooner or later.

If any of these sounds familiar to you, don’t fret; there’s a lot of ways out. Get budgeting and always prioritize your responsibilities to slowly reduce financial stress and work on achieving your goals.