Spenders, Savers, and Marriage

I've already admitted that I love books and TV shows that document poor personal financial habits (Big Spender: A Financial Intervention). One reoccurring theme in these cases is when a person who is a Saver marries a person who is a Spender.

Using the Money Magazine article She's a saver. He's a spender as its basis, an informal "Did you marry a saver or a spender" poll was conducted at the TiVo Community Forum (registration required), of all places.

The Spender vs. Saver criteria for the poll was as follows:

Saver:

• I try to get a good deal and stay within budget when spending money.
• I enjoy watching my savings grow.
• I save and plan for the future.

Spender:

• I buy what I want when I want.
• Convenience is more important than price.
• Why not spend? You can't take it with you!

Eighty-one people responded to the poll, and I found the results surprising:


Wow, almost half of the people polled reported that they were in a "mixed" marriage with one Saver and Spender! How do so many people coexist with a spouse whose attitudes about money are the polar opposite of their own? Even worse, 78% of all people polled have a marriage with at least one spender. I can't begin to imagine what life will be like for these people when they are too old or too ill to work anymore.

I also shouldn't have been surprised that only 15% of the responders were in a Saver/Saver marriage. I suppose that is an example of why our country has such a poor personal savings rate.

So, did you marry a Spender or a Saver?