Let's face it: as a general populace, we aren't great at managing money. But it's no wonder why: From taxes to investing to debt-busting, there's a lot that goes into financial planning. And while we're all for learning to do it yourself, there are a number of reasons you'd enlist the help of an advisor. Here's when you might need one, where to find one, and how to make sure you pick one that meets your needs.

A higher salary will do more for your finances than pinching pennies ever will. However, if you don't learn to be frugal with a little bit of money, you'll probably end up with the same financial issues when you start earning more. Or, as financial author Patrice C. Washington puts it, "how you manage $100 is likely how you'll manage $100,000."

The best way to keep a balanced budget is to decide your financial boundaries before you start spending. The 50/20/30 rule can help you keep every expense properly proportioned.

For a long time, I had a huge fear of not having enough money, and it actually made my finances even worse. There are a lot of ways to shift this mindset and overcome your financial fears. Giving back may be one of the simplest options.

Did you know there are human beings inside that building attached to your ATM? They're pretty helpful for more than just withdrawals, too. Every once in a while, go inside and talk to them. They might be able to help.

You've got your list of goals and you've been sticking to your new habits for a whole week. Good for you! You deserve a reward. But maybe don't give yourself a reward that ruins your habits.

When next month's paycheck finally comes in, here's a great idea on what to do with it: nothing.

The popular US finance app Acorns is now available in Australia. Like the nut it is named after, the app takes something small -- your leftover change -- and attempts to grow it into something much bigger. This is achieved by automatically investing the money into a diversified portfolio of exchange traded funds (ETFs) whenever you make an online purchase. Here's how it works.

We've said it before: money has a lot to do with mindset. When your money is harder to access (it's illiquid), you're less prone to, well, access it. That much is obvious, but according to a study published in the US National Bureau of Economic Research, most people know this, and that illiquidity actually inspires saving.

You're probably still not quite over the emotional letdown of not winning the Powerball. Well, good news! There are tons of contests online you can enter. With a dummy social media account, you can enter all of them without annoying your friends.

You might have saved a few hundred bucks during last month's challenge -- that's great! However, if you succeed at this month's challenge, you'll save all year long. February's challenge: bill haggle day.

Years ago, I vowed to learn everything I could about investing in one afternoon. It seemed like so much information, but I figured if I just studied up on it, I could figure it out. It didn't work. You know what finally did help me learn about investing? Just getting started. All it takes is one step.

When people decide to improve their financial habits and start saving money, they're often motivated by a temporary money crunch. Maybe you lost your job or are facing some unexpected bills, but after the crisis passes, how do you get your newfound sense of financial responsibility to stick?

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to take stock of your finances and get everything in order. Wait too long, and it will be tax season before you know it. This checklist should help you cover all the essentials.

Paying off your loans, opening a term deposit, saving for an emergency: these are all financially responsible things to do, and that's great. However, they don't work well as goals unless you can make them personal. When setting your money goals, ask one important question: why?

Dear Lifehacker, If I were renting an apartment or house and I want to supplement my income, what's the rule on sub-letting a room or car spot? Is it illegal to put the property on AirBnB, or just frowned upon by the owner? What's a polite way of asking for permission?

20 years ago, the average size of an Australian home loan was under $100,000. Ten years before that, it was under $40,000. Nowadays, you're looking at a lot more. This interactive graphic from the guys at Finder breaks down average home loan figures for each state and territory; from 1975 to 2015.

If you own your own business and business is good, your plan might be to fund your retirement by selling your company someday. But as Entrepreneur writer Sujan Patel puts it: your business isn't a retirement plan.

Determining Australia's economic health can be pretty difficult for the layman -- with gloomy economist forecasts, dubious government spin and constant mud-flinging in Parliament, the overall picture is never crystal clear. Thankfully, our chums over at Business Insider have produced some graphs on the topic -- and the outlook is rosier than you might think.