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We live in a society that prides itself on achievement in the material sense. It is no wonder then, that some of us fall into the trap of purchasing more than we can really afford in order to keep up with our neighbours. What many of us are unaware of however, is that it is perfectly possible that the very neighbours that we are trying to emulate are up to their noses in debt and anxiety once their front door is shut to would be observers.

We may also inadvertently accumulate debt just because the cost of living is high and our actual income doesn't keep up with the rate of inflation. Just buying everyday necessities and paying bills for utilities can land us in financial difficulties.

To make sure that you stay debt free and don't go along the road to financial ruin there are some healthy financial habits that you can adopt.

Purchase only that which you can afford.

Buying items via credit is only really a good financial option if by doing so you are keeping your money in an interest account long enough to make more interest than the extra you need to pay for your item in the long run.

Therefore, if you already class yourself as poor, and so dont have money to build up in the bank, you would be foolish to succumb to advertising that tells you it is best to buy now and pay later. In truth, paying later will mean that you end up paying way over the odds for your item, when you couldn't afford it in the first place let alone the burden of paying extra for it.

The golden rule here is to only purchase that which you can pay for outright. This may mean that you end up buying second hand furniture, or making do with old items that you already have longer than you would like. It may also mean that not everything you own is up to date with new technology or style.

However it will mean that you have enough peace of mind so that you dont lay awake at night having palpitations over how on earth you are going to pay for your purchases.

Read the small print.

Many people have been suckered in to paying more than they should for items or to buy services that they dont require. This often happens when they make a new purchase. In such a case a sales person may insist that you need to take out their special insurance, for example, for the new leather couch that you are buying, along with a special cleaning fluid and cloth that is expensive but 'special'.

In such a case you should already be covered in case anything is wrong with your new item as a matter of course. Most new items are

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