Discovering an Understanding Your Financial Personality Profile

You've probably noticed that different people relate to money differently- some folks can walk around with cash and not spend it, while other people seem unable to carry a credit card with them without coming home with another pair of shoes. Some people account for every penny they have, while others avoid the question entirely. Some folks would do just about anything to get more of it, while others regard it as base, tainted, beneath them, or even as evil. Some folks are happy with just a little, while some get nervous if their bank account doesn't have many thousands of dollars in it. We all relate to money, to a degree, in an emotional way, and this in turn affects how money enters and leaves our lives. In effect, our attitudes and habits about money constitute a blueprint for just about every aspect of our financial lives- how much we earn, how much we spend, save, squander, etc. Once you realize how it works, (it's pretty simple) it's not uncomplicated to begin to make changes in your financial blueprint- after all, it's just your attitudes and habits. The above is an excerpt from an article that appeared in The Paddling Fool website that caught my attention for a number of reasons. To start, and during our December segment with Couples & Money author Dr. Jackie Black, she had made reference to the fact that I had a scarcity mindset when it comes to my view of money. This is likely a by-product of having a father, who as a child grew up to a widowed mother with 6 siblings during the Great Depression. It was a time when basic necessities were considered a luxury with even a high school diploma taking a back seat to making ends meet. My father was an A student but could not afford to pay the $5 to write his final exams. Joining me this evening to unravel the mystery surrounding our financial personalities is none other than the incomparable Dr. Jackie Black.