Stirring the pot...heeheeheeee

[freebird5825]

I subscribe to MP Dunleavy's columns. She is very entertaining to read, down to earth and witty. She cracks me up with some of the wild things she writes, but she is usually right on target about human behavior and money.

Please read this short column
Why savers and spenders marry - MSN Money

and then ID who is the saver and who is the spender in your life, at which stages (past or present) and use mixed proportions if applicable.
For example, our dear Unclemick might qualify for a 100% saver rating during his self-admitted cheap b*st*rd phase.

So that our single folks are not left out , please pick your best friend, or a person with whom you spend the most time socially, or even a parent or child, as the other person.

Past (before we met)
dh2b - 100% spender (3 kids and ex driven)
me - 70% saver, 30% spender

Present
dh2b - 60% saver, 40% spender
me - 90% saver, 10% spender

Next?

 

[NW-Bound]

I don't know how I can give myself the percentage proportion like you show. But I know that my wife's and my financial attitude track very well in our marriage going on 29 years now. I can recall very few occasions when one bought something that was later frowned upon by the other.

 

[freebird5825]

The extreme case of 100% = a complete saver (extremely cheap) or spender (spendthrift).

The combinations are meant to reflect mostly a saver (70%) but also sometimes a spender (30%). Think of it as a glass full or empty with proportions in between.

Very few of us will ping the 100% extremes.

 

[bbbamI]

DH and I have been totally opposite in most areas for many years of our marriage. In regards to finances, he's the spender, I'm the saver. Looking back on it now, I realize since we are this way, we've been able to have/enjoy some nice things and we've got a few bucks in the ol' bank account.

Since he's retired, he's starting to pay attention to expenses more because he does NOT want to go back to work.

 

[NW-Bound]

The extreme case of 100% = a complete saver (extremely cheap) or spender (spendthrift).

The combinations are meant to reflect mostly a saver (70%) but also sometimes a spender (30%). Think of it as a glass full or empty with proportions in between.

Very few of us will ping the 100% extremes.

OK. We were both 90% savers while working, changing to 90% spenders now.

Well, it obviously cannot be that bad, as it would be self-limiting , but you got the idea. Heh heh heh, perhaps I don't want to be like the guy in the picture in a past post.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showpost.php?p=757663&postcount=19

 

[Westernskies]

In regards to finances, he's the spender, I'm the saver. .

...which is why he has that badA$$ Harley...

 

[bbbamI]

...which is why he has that badA$$ Harley...

Mmmm, hmmm...so I try to look at it as an asset instead of an a$$ set....

 

[RonBoyd]

DW is 100% Saver which [-]keeps me at [/-]limits me to 70% Saver/30% Spender -- those are pretty strong headwinds.

 

[Moemg]

DH and I have been totally opposite in most areas for many years of our marriage. In regards to finances, he's the spender, I'm the saver. Looking back on it now, I realize since we are this way, we've been able to have/enjoy some nice things and we've got a few bucks in the ol' bank account.

.

This described my SO & I but now it seems he is more of a saver and I've loosened the spending strings . So it all works out .

 

[Finance Dave]

I don't know how I can give myself the percentage proportion like you show. But I know that my wife's and my financial attitude track very well in our marriage going on 29 years now. I can recall very few occasions when one bought something that was later frowned upon by the other.

ditto for us.

We have a "$100 rule". If it costs less than $100, just buy it. Anything more than that and we discuss the purchase beforehand.

 

[RonBoyd]

ditto for us.

We have a "$100 rule". If it costs less than $100, just buy it. Anything more than that and we discuss the purchase beforehand.

Us too... and it has worked out well for forty-six years.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yep, I used the $100 rule yesterday. Found one of those patio heaters that uses bottled propane at Tuesday Morning, but it was $150. So back to the internet to see if it *really* is a good deal at that price before sending him to look at it.
Had it been $100, I'd have snapped it up with no research. See, the rule already saves me money!

 

[Walt34]

I was married to a "spender" and she bailed when I refused to take out a loan for a trip when we were already flat broke.

DW is more of a "saver" than I am so I suppose it could be said that I'm the "spender". After all, there is no way she'd ever spend five figures on a motorcycle.

 

[JustNtime]

Budget - what budget?? Forgittabottit... As long as we continue to spend less than we have coming in, I don't think we'll be 'budgeting'. On the other hand we don't really buy much we don't 'need' and rarely do we think we 'need' anything truly 'expensive'. Budget travel(even cruises), moderate price dining, a splurge now and again, a new a/c-furnace, clothes on sale, etc... Lots of moderation... We have too
much #$@& stuff accumulated over 35yrs of marriage already and sooo don't really need more...

 

[FUEGO]

Budget - what budget?? Forgittabottit... As long as we continue to spend less than we have coming in, I don't think we'll be 'budgeting'. On the other hand we don't really buy much we don't 'need' and rarely do we think we 'need' anything truly 'expensive'. Budget travel(even cruises), moderate price dining, a splurge now and again, a new a/c-furnace, clothes on sale, etc... Lots of moderation... We have too
much #$@& stuff accumulated over 35yrs of marriage already and sooo don't really need more...

That is pretty much where we are. No budget, just automated savings and payroll deductions. As long as our checking account balance stays positive, we know we aren't spending too much or cutting into our planned savings.

Spending is generally governed by the consideration "Does this bring us value"? Spending $5000 on a vacation probably won't bring us 5x the value of spending $1000 on a vacation.

We have too much junk as is, so no real pressing need to buy a bunch of new stuff. We replace things if they break or become functionally obsolete. I think there is an implicit $50 rule or $100 rule in our relationship whereby if something approaches $50 or $100, increasing levels of consultation are required. $20 tech gadgets (me) or $20 household items (her) don't require consultation when purchased in small quantities.

At the end of the day, we are saving a very high percentage of our income, so splurging here and there on stuff that brings value to our lives doesn't really change a lot for our ultimate FIRE goal. Does it really matter much if you save 52% of your income or 48%?

 

[JustNtime]

Rarely do we ever exceed the 'thou a week' vacation and we can still get two weeks of 'vacation bliss' for under a thou normally. Our first couple years of retirement we average 20+ weeks of away time and I know cost was way under $10k. We haven't traveled that much this year, suffering from alot of been there - done that - didn't buy any t-shirts when considering where to go.