Am I a Tightwad?

Created in 2008 by economists at a major university in the USA, the following questionnaire may seem silly, but it could say a lot about your approach to handling money.


1. Which of the following descriptions fits you best?
I’m a tightwad
I’m a spendthrift
Some of both or neither

2. Some people have trouble limiting their spending. They spend more money than they intended—on clothes, meals, vacations, etc. How well does this description fit you? That is, do you have trouble limiting your spending?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always

3. Other people find it difficult to spend money; they have more than is reasonable. How well does this second description fit you? That is, do you have trouble spending money?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always

4. The following is a scenario describing the behavior of two shoppers. Which one is like you?
You go shopping with a friend. A supermarket is offering a special discount (“50 percent off, today only!”)
Type A: It occurs to you that you might buy a few things you need and save a lot of money, but you don’t like the idea of spending money when you didn’t plan to—so you don’t buy anything.
Type B: Although you didn’t plan to buy anything, you tell yourself that “everything’s half price here”—and end up spending 100 Euros.

Which type to you most resemble?
Type A, definitely
I’m more like Type A
Sometimes Type A, sometimes Type B
I’m more like Type B
Type B, definitely





Source:  Scott Rick, Cynthia Cryder and George Loewenstein (2008), “Tightwads and Spendthrifts,” Journal of Consumer Research, 34 (6), 767-782.

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