When economic times are booming, for many of us, it is almost too much trouble to keep an eye on the money. Why think about it — there'll be more of that coming along, so no worries.

When times get tough, dealing with diminishing family resources, worries about employment, leaves little energy or incentive to figure out what to do.

We are who were, but we start as products of our environment. Some of us were lucky, born holding the proverbial silver spoon; some fit right into the middle of the everyday middle class household; others have had to work incredibly hard to stay afloat.

It is a fact that all of us have to learn how to handle our finances in one form or another; it is probably also a fact that how we manage our money is a determining factor in our long-term life success. Where did we start with the financial learning process?

Oh so long ago, in all ways, subtle, surreptitious and strident, we learn from everyone around us. Your mother runs up the credit card; hides the purchases in the closet, then dribbles items out a piece at a time.

Your Dad, who is not the spendthrift in the group, always says no — to every family member's wants and dreams. Your uncle, who has worked an intermittent life, after flashing a roll of cash at the local restaurant, goes off on another bender. Four months later, he is seen — considerably thinner — repairing windows for your Dad.

Who is better? Who is worse? Who is human? How much of your self worth is completely linked to how you handle your finances? Did your family ever discuss money, what it meant, how to plan and set achievable goals (and rewards) even when you were very young?

What are you to think as a child? What is normal financial behaviour? Is there such a thing? For those, whose families simple could not communicate about money, what if you had been able to (or could have taken) a course in life financial planning at a young age?

Would you feel more confident now? Would you be more successful now? Recent US statistics on financial behaviour indicate that as the complexity of finances increase, the level of financial understanding drops. This is a pretty obvious conclusion.

It is just too hard for most of us to essentially study finance every day, especially if resources are not easy to find.

The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) in the United States, a non profit group, has worked assiduously for many years to make financial planning education free and accessible.

Their website is a gold mine of information, for both adult consumers and high school students (http://www.nefe.org/HelpforConsumers/tabid/64/Default.aspx).

Since 1984, NEFE has been addressing youth financial literacy with the nationally known NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP).

The HSFPP consists of a seven unit student manual, instructor's guide, and a dynamic suite of Web pages that offer a large, continually growing collection of resources, articles, and financial tools for teachers, students, and parents. The Unit Topics will sound familiar to anyone interested in financial planning, but note that these topics are being taught to students in high school.

• Your Financial Plan: Where It All Begins

• Budgeting: Making the Most of Your Money

• Investing: Making Money Work for You

• Good Debt, Bad Debt: Using Credit Wisely

• Your Money: Keeping It Safe and Secure

• Insurance: Protecting What You Have

• Your Career: Doing What Matters Most

Since its beginnings, the programme has reached more than five million students and individuals in schools, youth organisations, community programmes, and many other settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and at US installations around the globe (http://hsfpp.nefe.org/channels.cfm?chid=98&tid=1&deptid=14).

Values, beliefs, and the handling of finances are part of our lives. Do you know why you buy (or not buy) an item? NEFE has a fascinating LifeValues Quiz on the site to find out "What's Behind Your Financial Decisions?"

Have you ever wondered why you feel good about spending money on vacations, but avoid saving for retirement? Why you buy new golf clubs, but procrastinate when it comes to giving your kids an allowance? The answer may lie in your unique LifeValues and how they influence your financial decision making.

Most of us don't realise what's behind the thousands of financial decisions we make every year. And, if we are in a relationship, we are even less certain about why our partners make the decisions they do. If you want to demystify your money behaviours, try the LifeValues quiz.

There are 20 questions, running the gamut from how you might handle impulse spending to a cash windfall, thoughts on retirement, health and health care, financial freedom and security, such as symbols of success.

The LiveValues Quiz focuses on four core Values, Inner value, Social Values, Physical Values, and Financial Values. There is no right or wrong answer, but the evaluation at the end based upon your score in each area contains interesting points.

In the Financial Values section, for instance, if you scored very low in the "F" category, you probably procrastinate and/or make your financial decisions impulsively. You might be spending to satisfy your social or physical preferences, and that's fine if you can afford to do this. Consider that you might be neglecting your need to save, invest and spend wisely because these concerns are not important enough to you.

Budgeting is annoying to you, and you have little interest in investing or in balancing your accounts. Your spending is aimed at rewarding relationships or comfortable lifestyle; job satisfaction drives your work. You might be susceptible to impulsive buying.

You are probably not a faithful saver unless you establish automatic systems to do this for you. Money topics are not likely to be enjoyable to read or discuss.

Remember, however, if your Financial LifeValue score is low, think carefully about whether the consequences of a spending decision will help you or hurt you. If the answer is that it will hurt you, make a different choice!

The LifeValues quiz (http://www.smartaboutmoney.org/LifeValuesQuiz/Quiz.aspx) and accompanying text featured on this website are excerpted from Dr. Lois Vitt's 2009 work, "Values-Centred Financial Education: Understanding Cultural Influences on Learners' Financial Behaviours," which was funded by the National Endowment for Financial Education.

This is a marvellous website to start the process of developing better financial habits, understanding why we spend and save the way we do, and a great help when coping with a tight budget, and economic survival. It is free.

Finances are universal, it does not matter where you live.

Sources: Permission was granted by the National Endowment for Financial Education's (NEFE) Clair Diones, director, marketing and communications.

Martha Harris Myron, Hamilton, Bermuda is an international Certified Financial Planner practitioner in private wealth management. She specialises in independent fee-only cross border investment, tax, estate, and strategic retirement planning services for Bermuda residents with cross-border and multi-national connections, internationally mobile people and US citizens living abroad. For more information, contact martha.myron@gmail.com">martha.myron@gmail.com or 296-3528.