The Important of Financial Health for Your Mental and Physical Health
- Ashley Marie
- Jul 24
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 24
I focus a lot on healthy lifestyles with balance, but there's another area to consider when it comes to living your best life—financial health. You know you're adulting when you seek out a financial expert.
A conversation with my father‑in‑law made my husband and me realize it was time to talk with a financial advisor. We wanted an expert to take a closer look at our finances and help us build a future that’s stable, debt‑free, and focused on using our money wisely.
As part of my whole-body wellness plan, I wanted to share with you some of the most important things I've learned.
How We Started Planning Financial Health
This topic goes back to before we had kids. We met our financial advisor, Jeffry Weldon with Strategies for Wealth, when we wanted to buy our first home. Having someone to talk to about our finances gave us confidence going into the process. Then, our focus shifted to saving for baby Legg (Ranger), and eventually, Raya, our second child. Now we're expecting our third child.
I feel an obligation to share our experience with my community to encourage you to make money management a priority in your life. Money can be the root of a lot of stress for people, so being more confident and secure in your financial decisions will offer some ease and excitement when you open your mind to an abundance mindset.
We talked with Jeffry about the three main goals.
Always be a step ahead.
Get rid of debts.
Become world-class savers.
We have experienced so much positive growth in our financial journey, so I asked Jeff to offer you all some simple steps to create financial peace in your life. Read more below as Jeff provides valuable tools you can start implementing now.
Four Steps to Financial Health
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” - J.R.R. Tolkien
If you are a fan of The Hobbit and J.R.R. Tolkien, you've heard this before. If not, the quote means don’t ignore big risks or threats just because they’re inconvenient to think about. It’s a poetic way of saying “plan for what’s real, even if it’s uncomfortable.”
However, what to prepare for is not quite so clear in the financial planning arena. Often, we don’t know where to start and are overwhelmed as we find all that is involved. If you can't do it alone, get a financial coach.
Start with these 4 steps:
Protect your todays
Become a world-class saver
Create a Life events fund
Work toward living debt-free.
Let's tackle them one at a time.
Protect Today
Life has a way of shifting when you least expect it. Jobs change, markets dip, emergencies happen. Those moments can knock even the best long‑term plans off course.
That’s why protecting your present should come before you start mapping out your future. When you have the right safeguards in place, from insurance to an emergency fund, you create a financial safety net that keeps you steady no matter what happens next. A secure today gives you the confidence and stability to build toward tomorrow.
Become a World-Class Saver
Once you’ve shored up your protection, shift your focus to building your balance sheet. The truth is, the amount you save each year drives more long‑term growth than chasing big investment returns. And the best part? You’re in control of what you save.
Even if your income feels tight, start small.
Automate a transfer of five or ten dollars a week into a separate account.
Cut one recurring expense you barely use and redirect that money to savings.
Round up your debit card purchases and stash the difference.
Those little moves add up faster than you think, and they build the habit of saving without feeling overwhelming. Being a great saver isn’t about perfection or massive contributions. It’s about consistently carving out something and proving to yourself that you can create a future with confidence that things will work out.
Life Events Planning
The more you save, the more options you give yourself when life throws something unexpected your way. We never thought we’d face an infertility challenge or the costs that come with IVF, but having money set aside meant we could move forward without taking on crushing debt.
That’s the power of building a layer of wealth that’s both safe and accessible. Keeping a balance between liquid savings and long‑term strategies gives you flexibility when life doesn’t follow the script.
Decide to be Debt Free
One of the biggest anchors people have dragging behind them is high-cost consumer debt. This is so destructive force that can greatly affect your wealth. If you had a choice between your credit card company and your family, who would you choose?
There are ways in which debt can be eliminated permanently from your financial picture without leaving you exposed in the meantime. Knowing when to handle short-term debt is just as important as not having it.
Yes, it is easier said than done, but that's why a financial advisor can help you get on the path to financial health and even wealth beyond what you can envision today.
Final Thoughts on Financial Health
A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just five minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first two and a half minutes sharpening my ax.”
Thank you for giving me a few moments to help you sharpen your perspective. If you want to learn more about how to improve your physical and mental health, please reach out to me for some Legg Day Fitness support. I'm also happy to share one-on-one how we implemented these financial strategies. Follow me on Instagram to keep up with the Legg Day family!
This article was originally posted in 2019. I updated it in 2025, and I can tell you this guidance still resonates as part of our financial strategy as a growing family.
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