9 hard truths about money your successful friends won't tell you

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We all have those friends who seemingly cruise through life, never stressing about money or success, and somehow always have plenty of both.

They have retirement plans, businesses and time to climb mountains or run marathons. Basically, they’re really annoying.

For others, failing to save, going deeper into debt and generally stressing about life is the norm. if you’re wondering what those successful friends of yours are thinking — but not saying — about your money habits, keep reading.

1. You need to budget.

You know the guy who you’re always hitting up for money until you get your paycheck? Well, he’s thinking that you would benefit by creating and sticking to a budget. Fortunately, making a budget is as easy as clicking a mouse.

"Find an app or system that works well for you such as Mint, You Need A Budget or just an Excel spreadsheet," said Kate Holmes, a certified financial planner (CFP) and founder of Belmore Financial. "Import the last few months of all checking, debit and credit card transactions and see where things are at. You’ll likely be surprised by some of the category totals."

"Ask yourself how much happiness each item brings. You may find some unnecessary spending you can easily cut out," she said.

Read: 5 Signs You Have a Spending Problem

Here’s a strategy she recommended: 50% of your take-home pay goes for food, housing and other necessities; 30% for discretionary spending; and 20% toward paying off debt and building savings. Of course, any money-savvy friend will also tell you that making a budget is easy. Staying with it can be challenging.

2. You don't save enough.

We all want to retire someday, right? Well, the bad news is most of us won’t be retiring in style if we only rely on Social Security benefits to live. The average Social Security recipient in 2014 got only $1,300 a month. Those golden years are starting to look tarnished already.

So what can you do? Save in your workplace retirement plan and take advantage of your employer’s matching program, said consumer finance expert Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix operations for Freedom Financial Network. He recommended saving 10 percent to 15 percent of your gross pay for retirement. If you can’t swing that, start with what’s manageable for you.

3. You have too much credit card debt.

The financially savvy see credit cards as a convenience, not a bank account from which to draw. The average credit card interest rate stands at 13%, meaning that everything you buy, from dinner out to a flat screen TV, will cost you 13% more if you don't pay it off immediately.

That's why a good friend would tell you to avoid using credit cards except in emergencies. "Few, if any, investments will return as much," said Gallegos. "Having no credit card debt provides a financial cushion itself."

So the next time you whip out that Visa to fund your latest impulse buy, add in the interest costs and reassess whether it's really worth it.