The Wrong Personality for Budgeting!

[The Budget Man]

The Wrong Personality for Budgeting!

“I have the wrong personality for budgeting” explained the lady I met in Burger King.

This common statement is not a “cop out”. It actually turns out to be the key to understanding why budgeting is so difficult for many people.

You see... We are all different. No one thinks twice when the person sitting next to them at the restaurant chooses different meals. In fact you’d probably walk out of a restaurant that had only one item on the menu. Yet when it comes to money, we’ve expected people to budget in exactly the same way.

This is great news if you or someone you know has had difficulties budgeting in the past.

Let’s take a moment to think of some of the people you know…

Do you know some people who find handling money “easy” and other people who have to “work hard” or the money just slips away from them?

Surprise, surprise, each of us sees money differently. We have a unique financial personality that has preferences for how we do things.

Which brings us to the big question…?

Can the different “Financial Personalities” be identified?

After 15 years plus of researching this area I’d like to suggest that we can discover a lot about our financial personality by looking at what empowers us.

Money for Fun people are empowered by being able to use their money to bring fun and life to themselves and the people around them.

Money for Projects people are empowered when they are using their money for something to do or plan.

Money for Others people are empowered when they use their money to help.

Money for Tomorrow people are empowered by being able to save and plan for tomorrow. [/list]
Each of us has a unique mix of these four main types. The mystery of why traditional budgets work for some people and not others is solved. So too is the mystery about why fighting over money is the second highest reason given for divorce.

Put simply, trying to budget in a way that doesn’t suit is as sensible as trying to wear clothes that are too small. It’s uncomfortable, doesn’t last and causes friction.

This brings us to the FREE Personality Budgeting Quiz at www.PersonalityBudgeting.com . The quiz was developed especially to allow people to discover the strengths of their “Financial Personalities”. You and your friends are welcome to give it a go. To date, thousands of people from over 40 countries have tried their hand at the quiz and found it helpful. (NOTE: The quiz is free and so are the follow up materials. Using the free quiz does not commit you to accessing the paid products at this site.)

So what do you think? Would it be helpful to understand your “Financial Personality” as well as that of your partner and the people you spend time with?

Have you had instances where you’ve come across people with different “Financial Personalities” to you?

Enjoy Your Money
The Budget Man
www.PersonalityBudgeting.com
The home of the free Personality Budgeting Quiz

[autoxer]

Here are my results:

Money for…
Fun:        8
Projects:   11
Others:     5
Tomorrow:   14

[Broken Arrow]

Fun: 7
Projects: 14
Others: 2
Tomorrow: 21

[LuxLiving]

ohhhhh...fun getting to see everyone's score!!!

Fun: 5
Projects: 5
Others: 4
Tomorrow: 15

[disneysteve]

I'm going to guess that I will score as a Money for Tomorrow person. Off to take the quiz now. I'll post my results.

Here we go:

Fun: 3
Projects: 3
Others: 2
Tomorrow: 14

"Your ability to plan the way you spend your money is the secret to your success."

What a surprise - not!

[The Budget Man]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I'm going to guess that I will score as a Money for Tomorrow person. Off to take the quiz now. I'll post my results.

Here we go:

Fun: 3
Projects: 3
Others: 2
Tomorrow: 14

"Your ability to plan the way you spend your money is the secret to your success."

What a surprise - not!

The exciting part is that you know exactly what your Financial Personality is.

Now you can help other people to discover their strengths and weaknesses!

Enjoy Your Money
The Budget Man

www.PersonalityBudgeting.com
The home of the Personality Budgeting Quiz

[MonkeyMama]

Fun: 3
Projects: 2
Others: 3
Tomorrow: 15

No surpise here - LOL. I don't really like risks or do ANYTHING without a lot of careful planning so no surprise it carries over to my budget personality. Always thinking more about tomorrow than today I guess. As I am sure all of our budget personalities reflect somewhat our overall personalities.

[pearlieq]

It's not surprising that people who voluntarily spend their free time here skew heavily toward "money for tomorrow"!

I'm predicting no different for myself.

*************************************

Results:

Fun: 5
Projects: 6
Others: 4
Tomorrow: 15

[boefixepa]

Oh, I didn't write down my score it was something like
Fun: 1
Projects: lots
Others: One more than lots
Tomorrow: One fore than other

No great shocker there. Poor me, it seems I don't like to have fun with my money....Again no shocker for me there.

[PrincessPerky]

Ok so I got a row of coins, not a number? did you just count the coinstacks?

If so

Fun: 5
Projects: 9
Others: 4
Tomorrow: 9

I actually took it before, no idea what my results were..and now taking it again I remember why..it was even more 'even' the numbers were all the same..and I didn't understand how seeing money as for projects or for tomorrow would help..I do NOT mean to be rude, I just don't get it... (though I do like seeing everyone elses scores compared to mine)

[Reldon]

I am not much fun

Fun: 2
Projects: 5
Others: 2
Tomorrow: 15

[jmjj215]

I did about the same as everyone else here. So how do you convince someone that sees money as fun to save for tomorrow?

[LuxLiving]

PrincessPerky - I would think it would depend on what one defines as projects wouldn't it? Some of mine are money-makers, so that falls in with my tomorrow schemes.

Fixing up my house now is in view of selling it in the relatively near future...costs some now but rewards will be greater than cost. Landscaping is also a project than can have a financial return.

Some projects such as say a 'project car' where one spends money on parts, repair, etc., could go either way - if it is kept after fixed it is just project money that happened to be fun. If it is sold for cash for future or tomorrow living then it's more of a tomorrow project than just a fun project.

So I get all mixed up on the fun/project/tomorrow stuff, because fixing up my house for resale is somewhat fun for me, not that I like paint/repair/landscape work SO MUCH, but they are projects, but it is also with a view to selling and downsizing towards retirement making it in actuality a 'tomorrow' kinda thing. The 'others' comes in as well, because if I get tomorrow taken care of for myself then my kids don't have to take Mom to raise when I'm 75!

BudgetMan, I want MUCH MORE in my tomorrow piles - make mine BIG BILLS please!! My kids will thank you when they don't have to care for dear old Momsie!

[TinyFish]

I'm a:
3
7
2
9
I prefer to think of myself as 'not needing a lot of money to have fun' rather than 'not being fun'.

Hmmm, I wonder how I can 'spin' the two for 'helping others'. I know! I'm not a stingy miser, I'm setting an example and not enabling dependency! Yeah, that's it!

-TinyFish

[Broken Arrow]

Wow, I've got the highest so far for "Saving for Tomorrow."

Muahahahahah!!!!

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by jmjj215

I did about the same as everyone else here. So how do you convince someone that sees money as fun to save for tomorrow?

Let em see there wont be any fun for tomorrow if they don't save it?

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

Let em see there wont be any fun for tomorrow if they don't save it?

Being the Princess of your Kingdom, perhaps you've forgotten that we male drones do not wield the same royal powers that you do.

It certainly isn't any fun sleeping on the couch.

[Gruntina]

My Result is:
Fun: 5
Projects: 13
Others: 7
Tomorrow: 14

I really had no idea how my score would have resulted as I gone through tremendous changes in the last few years and my perspective of finances have also changes but not all of the physical actives to support my perspectives have totally adjusted to my new ways yet. My ideas are good but my actions are currently in "becoming proficient" status.

I am not surprise with my project score being high as I need to have a structured foundation to my day to day living or I do not function well. Part of it is from being deaf and not really involved in the deaf community, I get more enjoyment from doing things rather than hanging out with the chatters crowd. (This site is an exception as I understand every word is being said here smile! I LOVE the internet age)

[thekid]

Fun: 6
Projects: 8
Others: 6
Tomorrow: 15

I would say those scores pretty much reflect my "budgeting personality"

[Bookie]

I think I may be the Grinch that stole Christmas.