As humans, our behaviours and actions can oftentimes be traced to our personality type.
Your personality might be the perfect explanation for why you would either prefer to stay indoors on a Friday night or be outside having a good time. Personalities differ based on factors like human exposure and interactions and they sum up to form an individual’s unique character. In this same way, money personalities exist and differ for individuals.
Understanding your money personality is the first step to understanding your money habits which can help you significantly manage your finances better.
Five major money personalities exist, however, it is important to note that even though everyone most likely has a mix of more than one personality, there will always be one that is dominating. In this sense, that is your money personality. Regardless, there is no good or bad personality - you just are, and understanding how you’re wired can help you understand your habits and manage your money better.
The Five Money Personalities
So what's your money personality? Here are five types to choose from.
Big spender: As the name implies, people in this category are not afraid to spend money. As a big spender, you have no problems splurging on luxury items like a Ferrari car or buying that Rolex watch. You are team ‘go big or go home’. You are generally comfortable taking big risks and don't let the fear of debt stop you.
Saver: As the saver, you micromanage your money and your friends probably tease you about being a cheapskate. You see no reason to spend lavishly and you only shop when necessary. In your friendship group, you are probably the one whom everyone trusts to be diligent with money.
Debtor: You are comfortable taking debt to solve both big and small problems. You are probably not meticulous with keeping track of your money and might be living above your income level without knowing hence the constant reliance on debt.
Investor: People in this category are typically intentional about making their money work for them. This is team ‘we make money in our sleep’. Passive income is probably your mantra.
Shopper: As a shopper, you derive satisfaction from spending money. Your solution to having a bad day will likely be retail therapy or visiting the mall to shop. You occasionally indulge in impulse buying just to release endorphins.
Leveraging Your Money Personality For Better Financial Management
A good litmus test to determine which category you belong to is to ask yourself - What’s the first thing you think about once you receive money? However, it is possible to leverage your dominant personality alongside the others in order to cultivate healthy money habits long-term. Here’s how:
Be introspective: Figuring out which of the money personalities described above resonates with you is paramount to understanding where and why your money goes. Also, identifying which other subtle traits you possess can help you leverage your innate tendencies to manage your finances better. Cultivating a money-conscious mindset that helps you separate wants from needs is also helpful.
Use money tools: Regardless of whichever money personality you belong to, using financial tools like apps and spreadsheets can help you stay on track with your financial goals. For example, if you are a 90% big spender trying to leverage the 10% saver in you, discipline alone might not be enough. Rather, using a financial tool like the Brassmoney app to create a saving and spending budget, and apportioning your money appropriately can help you take more actionable steps.
Conclusion
Considering that your money personality influences why you spend money on the things you spend money on, understanding it can be a game changer for your finances. Even though no particular personality is bad, too much of everything isn't great either. It is also possible to find that in your money management, you’ll have overlapping characteristics from more than one category. Hence, understanding ways in which you can leverage your money personality can help you cultivate healthy financial habits and ultimately manage your money better.
