Saturday morning, coffee in hand, I opened the notes app I’ve used since 2017 and scrolled through a simple table: savings rate, debt, net worth, and one tiny line called “peace score.”

It’s not fancy. It’s consistent.

And that’s why it works.

I’ve learned that you don’t need 40 spreadsheets or a degree in finance to feel safe with money.

You need a short list of signals you can track without drama.

That’s what this piece gives you—ten things to track that will protect your future and lower your stress today.

I’ll keep this clear and spaced so you can scan and start.

1. Track your net worth trend

Net worth is a snapshot of where you stand: assets minus liabilities.

But the real magic is the trend.

Are you moving in the right direction month after month?

Open a simple sheet and record your balances once a month.

No judgment.

Just data.

The trend tells you whether your daily choices are compounding in your favor.

It also helps you detach from market noise because you’re watching your own progress, not headlines.

If the line goes up over six months, you’re on track.

If it staggers or dips, you’ll spot it early and adjust.

2. Track your savings rate (by pay period)

Your savings rate is the percentage of your take-home pay you keep.

It drives everything—options, buffer, and how quickly you can pivot when life pivots on you.

Pick a baseline you can live with in a “normal” month, then defend it the way you defend your calendar.

Automate contributions the day you get paid.

When my husband and I increased our combined savings rate by just 4%, we didn’t feel it day to day.

But a year later, it paid for a surprise home repair in cash.

That’s the power of small, automated edges.

3. Track your emergency fund in months, not dollars

Dollars feel abstract.

Months feel real.

Measure your cash cushion in months of essential expenses.

Three months is a start.

Six to nine months provides real stability if you’re self-employed or in a cyclical industry.

Review this number quarterly.

If it shrinks, refill it before you increase investing or lifestyle upgrades.

Think of this as your emotional firewall—the buffer between you and panic.

4. Track your debt-to-income and your interest rates

Debt isn’t a moral failing; it’s a math problem with emotions attached.

Two numbers matter most: your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and the interest rates on each debt.

When DTI is high, your flexibility is low.

When interest rates are high, your progress leaks.

If you can refinance, do it.

If you can accelerate, target the highest rate first.

And if you carry a balance on credit cards, track credit utilization too—aim to keep it under 30%, lower if possible.

5. Track your fixed vs. variable expense ratio

We all have “gravity bills”—housing, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments.

They don’t move easily.

Know what percentage of your take-home pay they consume.

The lower that fixed slice, the more room you have to steer your life during change.

If your fixed costs creep over 50–60%, it’s a signal to renegotiate, downsize, or eliminate something.

This ratio, more than any budgeting app, tells you how agile you are.

6. Track your “joy spend” (on purpose)

Money safety isn’t all restraint.

It’s sustainability.

Choose one to three categories that genuinely light you up—maybe travel, books, or dining out—and give them a defined slice of your budget.

Track those, not to shame yourself, but to honor what makes life bright.

When joy is intentional, you spend without guilt and save without resentment.

That’s how habits last longer than a month.

7. Track your investment contributions and fee drag

You can’t control markets.

You can control how much you add and how much you pay to participate.

Track your monthly contributions and your all-in expense ratio or fee drag across accounts.

Fees are like barnacles on a boat—small but relentless.

If you don’t know your fees, look up the expense ratio on your funds and any account-level charges.

Set a calendar reminder to check this twice a year.

If you like simplicity, stick to a core allocation, automate contributions, and go get your life back.

8. Track your income resilience

A single source of income can be fine.

But it’s fragile.

Track how diversified your income really is and how quickly you could replace it.

That might mean cultivating a secondary skill, keeping a tiny freelance client, or building a cushion that buys you job-search time.

I keep a one-page “career capital” doc—skills I’m building, people I’m helping, and proof of work.

It’s not a resume; it’s a readiness file.

Update it quarterly and you’ll be surprised how much more secure you feel.

9. Track your tax calendar and your effective tax rate

Taxes are predictable—until we pretend they aren’t.

Track key dates for filings and estimates so you never “forget” them.

Then track your effective tax rate each year (tax paid ÷ taxable income).

When you know the real number, it’s easier to set the right withholding or carve out the right percentage from each payment if you’re self-employed.

Put the dates in your calendar once, with reminders, and reuse them every year.

Future-you will send thank-you notes.

10. Track your protection checklist (once per year)

You don’t need to obsess over this weekly.

Once a year is enough.

But don’t skip it.

Use a simple checklist and confirm what’s current, what’s missing, and what needs a quick phone call.

Here’s the only bullet list in this article—copy it, paste it, and schedule an annual review:

• Insurance: health, disability, term life (if someone relies on your income), homeowners/renters, auto.

• Beneficiaries: retirement accounts and insurance policies updated after life changes.

• Estate basics: will, healthcare directive, and durable power of attorney.

• Safety net: password manager, inventory of key accounts, and a shared “break glass” folder for your trusted person.

Each check protects you from rare, high-impact risks.

It’s the quiet kind of safety that lets you focus on living.

11. Track your “enough number”

This isn’t about retirement spreadsheets.

This is about clarity.

How much monthly income would let you live your real life with ease?

What balances would let you breathe?

Write your “enough” in present-tense and track your distance to it, like a hiker watching trail markers.

The number will evolve as you do.

But naming it prevents you from sprinting toward someone else’s idea of success.

12. Track your peace score

Money is practical.

It’s also emotional.

Once a month, rate your financial stress from 1–10 and jot the reason.

Over time, you’ll see patterns.

Maybe the number spikes when you haven’t checked your accounts in weeks.

Maybe it drops after you pay quarterly taxes early.

That feedback loop nudges better behavior without a fight.

“Peace score” isn’t a financial metric you’ll see in a textbook, but it’s the one that tells me when to pause, breathe, and simplify.

A mindful note on personal responsibility

When I shifted to minimalism years ago, my finances calmed down too.

There were fewer temptations, fewer leaks, and a clearer connection between my spending and my values.

That shift didn’t happen because I found a perfect system.

It happened because I chose to track a few things consistently and stop pretending I didn’t know where my money went.

This is where I lean on inner work as much as outer tools.

I’ve mentioned this before, but reading Rudá Iandê’s new book, Laughing in the Face of Chaos: A Politically Incorrect Shamanic Guide for Modern Life, reminded me that discipline can be an act of self-respect, not punishment.

One line that stayed with me: “You have both the right and responsibility to explore and try until you know yourself deeply.”

I underlined it and wrote beside it: “Same with money.”

His insights helped me treat these numbers as mirrors, not verdicts.

If that resonates, the book might give you the same nudge it gave me to simplify your rules and trust your direct experience.

How to put this into motion in 20 minutes

Open a blank note.

Write today’s date.

Create these headings: Net Worth, Savings Rate, Emergency Fund (Months), DTI/Interest, Fixed vs Variable, Joy Spend, Contributions/Fees, Income Resilience, Taxes, Protection, Enough Number, Peace Score.

Add one line under each with your current best estimates.

No perfect data required.

Set a recurring reminder to update this monthly for the first six, then quarterly.

Before we finish, there’s one more thing I need to address…

Consistency beats intensity.

Don’t sprint for two weeks and stop.

Track lightly and regularly.

You’ll get farther with less stress.

Next steps

Choose three metrics you’ll update this week.

Put them on your calendar.

Then stack in the rest over the next month.

If you want a simple push toward clarity and ownership, revisit Rudá Iandê’s book and let it spark one small experiment you can keep up for a year.

Money safety grows from what you track, what you accept, and what you practice.

Which of these ten will you start with today?