10 signs you're better with money than you think

Not quite where you want to be when it comes to money? Chances are, you're doing better than you think!

Here are 10 ways you could actually be ahead of the curve. 👀

You could be doing better than you think if:

Your money doesn't run out before next payday
You have more than $1,000 saved up
You could survive for a month on your savings, if you had to
You don't have any credit card debt, or you pay your card monthly
You know how much super you have
You've put a little - or a lot - extra into your super
You invest outside your house or super
You've set up ways to make saving and investing easier
You've got a money goal and you're sticking to it
You know what compound interest, inflation, and diversification are

1. Your money doesn't run out before next payday

You're doing better than 50% of Aussie workers if you regularly have money left at the end of your pay cycle, according to 2025 ADP Research.

Not quite there yet? Here's how to stop living from payday to payday

2. You have more than $1,000 saved up

You're doing better than 43% of Aussies if you've got more than $1,000 in the bank, according to 2025 Finder research.

And 18% of Aussies don't have any savings at all.

Finding it tough to build up your savings? Here are 50 ways to save money.

3. You could survive for a month on your savings, if you had to

If you could survive on your savings for at least a month, you're doing better than 45% of Australians, per 2024 Finder research.

What's the magic number? $2,000, according to fund manager Vanguard, who found that investors with this amount saved were more likely to have "a higher level of financial well-being, spend less time thinking about and dealing with their finances, and are less distracted at work."

Those who could cover three to six months worth of expenses experienced a further 13% boost in financial wellbeing, their research found.

Need help building up your emergency fund? Here are 20 ways to do it fast.

4. You don't have any credit card debt, or you pay your card monthly

1 in 50 Australian adults owes more than $5,000 on their credit card at the end of each month, according to Roy Morgan research.

How much interest are they paying? According to Canstar, the average credit card interest rate is 18.61%, and the average credit card debt is $5,330.

So if you're paying off your balance each month, or you don't have any debt at all, you're avoiding a lot of interest charges.

Is it faster to pay off your debts one at a time, or together? Here's some food for thought.

5. You know how much super you have

(We're not just saying this because we have a super fund.)

You're doing better than roughly 70% of Aussies if you know how much super you have. And it's likely to have a big impact on your future.

Findex research shows that you can basically split Aussies into three similarly sized groups: those who know their super balance to the nearest $1,000; those who have a fair idea; and those who have no idea.

Want to be one of the top 30%? Here's how to find and check your super.

6. You've put a little - or a lot - extra into your super

Speaking of super - there are more than a few reasons you might make extra super contributions - and generally, they should result in a bigger retirement nest egg.

65% of Aussies make their first voluntary contribution before they turn 40, according to research from one super fund. That means there are 35% who haven't!

Feeling behind? Here's some info about super contributions.

7. You invest outside your house or super

We think this is a wild stat.

2023 ASX research revealed that only 10.2 million Australians hold investments outside their home or super.

That was only 52% of the population.

So if you're investing your money, we think you're well ahead of the 48% of Aussies who aren't.

Not investing your money yet? We might be biased, but we think this is a good place to start.

8. You've set up ways to make saving and investing easier

Finder found that only 1 in 6 Aussies use micro-investing apps, such as Spaceship.

And HSBC revealed that 26% of Australian investors only invest when they have extra money or when they see an opportunity.

So if you've made investing a habit, we think you're doing better than 26% of investors who haven't.

Here's one way to make investing a habit.

9.You've got a money goal and you're sticking to it

According to ASIC, only 12% of people who set money goals managed to stick to them.

They quoted an RMIT finance professor, Dr Angel Zhong, who noted that being realistic about your unique financial circumstances is key to making positive changes.

So you could be doing better than 88% of people if you stick to a money goal. Need a hand?

Here's how to set a SMART money goal.

10. You know what compound interest, inflation, and diversification are

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey is a survey run on behalf of the Australian Government's Department of Social Services.

In 2020, the survey found that 45% of Australians are considered financially illiterate, which means they incorrectly answered one or all of the survey's questions about compound interest, inflation, and diversification.

So if you're financially literate - you're doing better than 45% of other Aussies!