There's a good reason we call our currency funny money and it's not because it usually makes us laugh. Like Eskimos and snow, we have many words for it because it's important in our culture. Moolah, dough, bread, Benjamins...however you stack your paper, chances are you have some mixed feelings about bean counting. In order to take control of your finances (and if you're broke like us, it's probably about time), you need to do a little bit of that head shrinking business. Whether on your own, with professional help, or with your support network, get to thinking hard about how you to relate the old smackaroos.

The following are a few questions to start asking yourself. Pay attention to your gut reaction when you read below. You might get your answers from a clenching of your shoulders or a desire to skip past a particular inquiry. Do what you gotta do, but keep thinking about the answers. Remember, you can choose to share with family or friends, but the most important thing is to be honest with yourself. If the thought of future sharing deters you, don’t plan it.

When you think about paying your bills, how do you feel? Comfortable? Stressed? Does any image come to your mind? Why?

Do you feel like you're in control of your financial future? Do you have a good sense of where you stand now and where you’d like to be?

How did your close family members relate to money when you were growing up? Ask yourself: Did money feel tight? Was it actually? How did it affect your parents'/guardians' relationships? Was it used as a weapon/bartering tool?

Do you impulse buy and then regret it? If so, when do you do it? What kind of mood or situation usually leads to a shopping trip?

Have you ever created a budget and kept to it? What motivated you? If you’ve stopped, what were the factors that made it too hard?

Do you feel capable of making good financial decisions? Why or why not?

What would you need to feel empowered to take control?

These are big questions. Don't expect to answer them all at once. Grab a pen and some paper or open a doc and start writing down your thoughts. Don't edit, just blab. Mulling over these deep-rooted thoughts surrounding the green stuff is the first step to making good choices. And by good choices, we mean not having to choose between rent and food. If you're already there, get help. But, starting before a crisis point is being a Smart Bum. One that has cash for snacks. Because they are delicious and everyone should have a treat sometimes. And not worry about the financial repercussions of spending an extra dollar tonight.

Remember, you're not alone in trying to figure this out. Superstars have been singing about it for a long time now. And they know everything.