Taking the money personality quiz

For each statement, choose the answer that strikes you first as being closest to your tendencies, without thinking about it too much!

There is no right answer, just be as honest with yourself as you can.

1. If $20,000 came to me unexpectedly, my first impulse would be:

A. To spend it on things I really want, including gifts for others.
B. To put it in my savings account or pay off my mortgage.
C. To feel so overwhelmed that I'd put off making decisions about it for quite a while.
D. To invest it in order to make the biggest profits possible.
E. To give most of it away and use it to make the world a better place.

2. When it comes to dealing with my money:

A. I make sure that it never influences my life choices.
B. I enjoy spending it on gifts for myself and others, and on whatever will give me immediate pleasure.
C. I worry about it a lot and strategize how to make more and more of it.
D. I hold on to it and enjoy thinking about the security it provides.
E. I try not to think about it and hope it will take care of itself.

3. My goals about my money are:

A. To save enough of it now so that I never have to worry about my old age.
B. Unclear to me.
C. To have enough of it to ensure that I can buy whatever I want.
D. To have enough to satisfy my basic needs and then give the rest away.
E. To make as much of it as possible, as quickly as possible.

4. When it comes to following a budget:

A. I rework my budget often to figure out ways to have more money to spend and save.
B. I enjoy following mine closely.
C. I take pride in living so simply that I've never needed a budget.
D. I hate the word budget. I prefer spending plan!
E. I don't have a budget and never want one. My money will take care of itself.

5. When it comes to spending money:

A. I hope I'll have enough money to take care of unexpected expenses.
B. I enjoy spending money, as long as I keep accumulating it at the same time.
C. I'd rather save my money than spend it. Spending money can make me nervous.
D. I don't follow where my money goes, and I don't want to. I focus on more important aspects of my life.
E. I love spending money, and I tend to spend more than I earn.

6. I deal with financial record keeping as follows:

A. I keep reworking my records, to figure out ways to make more money or to make my money work better for me.
B. I'm not even sure which records I should be keeping.
C. I enjoy keeping careful records.
D. I keep some records but have trouble organizing them and finding them.
E. I don't keep records. I hate to spend my time this way.

7. When it comes to saving money:

A. I know I ought to be saving money, but I never seem to get around to it.
B. I enjoy saving large amounts of money and spend a lot of time and energy thinking about how to save more.
C. I have trouble saving money, and this bothers me sometimes.
D. I save only for absolute necessities.
E. Saving comes naturally to me. I am regular and consistent about it.

8. This is my attitude toward borrowing money from people:

A. I try not to borrow money, but when I have, I find it hard to keep track of my progress in paying it back.
B. I try never to borrow money from others.
C. I'm willing to borrow large amounts if the investment would help me make more money
D. I've borrowed money quite often, and I'm pretty casual about paying it back.
E. I borrow only for absolute necessities.

9. When it comes to lending money to people:

A. I'm pretty generous and don't worry too much about when I'll get it back.
B. If I had spare money I would lend it, especially if I thought the person needed it.
C. I wouldn't mind lending small amounts of money, but people hardly ever ask me.
D. I try never to lend money, but if I do, I expect to be paid back promptly.
E. I don't mind lending money if I get a good interest rate, but I want to know that I will get it back on time.

10. As far as credit cards are concerned:

A. I have a credit card, but I use it as little as possible.
B. I tend to use credit cards often and make the minimum payment.
C. I don't mind running up large charges, and will pay them off in full each month to get the maximum reward.

D. I don't take much notice of the status of my credit cards. I often forget to pay even the monthly minimum until I get a warning notice.

E. I don't like using credit, I prefer paying by cash or check upfront.

11. When it comes to providing for emergencies:

A. I don't have enough saved to provide for emergencies. I just hope for the best!

B. I never think about what I would do if something bad were to happen, and consequently I have no money set aside for emergencies.

C. I keep thinking that I'll have enough to start saving for emergencies soon, but I'm still not quite there!
D. I've put aside a sizable amount for emergencies, in various investments
E. I save regularly for an emergency fund.

12. If I am supposed to do a tax return I would:

A. Scramble to get together any records to check the return. I'm always surprised if any money is owed or due.
B. Calculate and double check the figures myself against my records, well in advance of the deadline.
C. Assume they have already been done correctly, as I wouldn't know how to check them.
D. Just pay what is due, or get my accountant to do it.
E. Take pride in having more assets and paying lower taxes every year, if I can.

13. To feel totally satisfied with my income, this is what I'd need:

A. A few thousand more per year than I'm making now would be largely sufficient.
B. Increasing my earnings by a large amount every year is what satisfies me - $50,000 a year more would be nice!
C. I suppose I could always use more money, but I have no idea how much more.
D. I feel pretty satisfied with what I make right now. A big increase would make me feel uncomfortable.
E. At least $10,000 to $20,000 more than I'm making now.

14. When it comes to investing in the stock market:

A. I enjoy investing in the stock market, and I like to diversify to maximize my profits.
B. I don't think about investing very often, but if I did invest, I'd want someone else to make those decisions for me.
C. I choose "safe" and conservative investments.

D. I'm not an expert at investing, but I think it would be fun to invest in more speculative stocks that might offer a high rate of return.

E. I don't think about investing, but if I made any investments, I'd prefer those that were socially responsible.

15. When I want a certain item but it's not within my budget:

A. Either I'll decide I don't really want it, or I'll buy it and hope that somehow I'll be able to pay for it.
B. If I want it, I will buy it. I will be able to figure out a way to pay for it.
C. I will buy it, whether I can afford it or not.

D. Most of the things I want are not expensive luxury items, so I can afford them. If I do want something outrageous, I may buy it, but the purchase will make me feel uncomfortable.

E. If the item is important enough to me, I'll figure out how to adjust my budget to afford it. If it isn't that important, I'll forget about it.

16. When I'm feeling down in the dumps, spending money:

A. Is the last thing I would do, putting some more money in savings might lift my spirits.
B. Always cheers me up.
C. Just makes me feel worse. Spending money has nothing to do with happiness.
D. Is not what I think about to cheer myself up.
E. In large amounts, and hatching plans to make more money, makes me feel better.

17. I would take (or have taken) a bank loan under these circumstances:

A. To go on vacations, or to buy something I really wanted.
B. To help others or provide for my immediate needs, but only a small amount.
C. To set up or expand a business, or to make an investment that would yield a high return.

D. I avoid borrowing money, but would to make essential repairs or to finance my education, in order to help increase my future security.

E. To deal unforeseen circumstances or emergencies, but not for anything else.

18. I worry about money:

A. Never. I worry about important things!
B. A little bit all the time. But I do all I can to manage it well.
C. Only if I think the money I have saved is not secure
D. Only when financial crises strike.
E. Not very much. I just enjoy spending it!

19. When I think about providing for my future security:

A. It's been so hard for me to save, so I am quite concerned that I won't have enough money in my future.
B. I have such a difficult time thinking about money that all I can do is hope that the future will take care of itself!
C. Since I make sure I have a lot of money at my disposal, the future will probably be fine.
D. Considering how systematic I've been about saving for the future, I feel reasonably confident about it.
E. I don't think about the future in financial terms. I have more important concerns, such as my quality of life in the future.

20. If I won a million dollars in the lottery, my first reaction would be:

A. To feel guilty, thinking about the starving masses who have nothing.
B. To feel shocked, a little overwhelmed, and very relieved that my future was now secure.
C. To be totally overwhelmed - I would have no idea how to handle it.

D. To be very happy and pleased, and to immediately start thinking about how I could simultaneously make my money grow and use it for my own enjoyment.

E. To be wildly excited, realizing that from now on I could buy anything I wanted!

What is my money personality type?

 

Brief description of money personality types

Hoarder You enjoy saving your money, and the security it brings. It may be difficult for you to spend money on luxury items or immediate pleasures for yourself and your loved ones.

Spender You love to use your money to buy whatever will bring you pleasure. You may have a hard time saving, budgeting, and delaying gratification for long-term goals.

Money Monk Money is not as important to you, as long as your immediate needs for yourself and your loved ones are meet. You may feel uncomfortable with large amounts of money, and find ways of giving it to others, instead of spending it on yourself or saving it for long term goals.

Avoider You tend not to worry about money or let it influence your decisions, unless necessary. You generally avoid performing various tasks of everyday money management, and don't plan for long term events. As a consequence of this you may be unsure of where you are at with your finances, and lack the experience and knowledge of how to deal with money.

Amasser You enjoy using your money to create value and like to make it grow. You may worry about having enough money at your disposal to spend, save, and invest and this may effect your ability to be spontaneous with your money and enjoy your life in the moment.

Bear in mind that each type has both good qualities and shortcomings. Also most people are a combination of types and the different personalities will each play a role in contributing to how people manage their finances. Your Financial Coach will discuss with you how your money personality combination could be affecting how you manage you finances, and how best to improve (if necessary) any aspects of your financial management. For a free assessment email enquires@fullbalance.co.nz or call 0800 385 522 with your results.

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This quiz has been edited and excerpted from Money Harmony: Resolving Money Conflicts in Your Life and Relationships by Olivia Mellan (Walker & Company, US$19.95). A psychotherapist and consultant in the field of money conflict resolution, Mellan shows you how your hidden, intense thoughts and feelings about money may be preventing you from dealing with it effectively -- and causing major stress in your life and relationships. This excellent book offers innovative exercises, dialogues, and other communication techniques to help you make positive changes in how you think about and deal with money, and to communicate more productively about money matters.