Tweaking Your Money Personality

The financial cataclysm has shaken entrenched attitudes toward money, too. Many spenders are spending less and even learning the virtues of saving. Some hoarders who squirreled away every penny, only to see much of their wealth vanish almost overnight, are becoming more open to spending on immediate gratification.

For example, during a reception to celebrate the new third edition of Overcoming Overspending: A Winning Plan for Spenders and Their Partners, my co-author Sherry Christie heard an amazed wife disclose that when she asked her usually frugal husband if they could afford to buy something she coveted, he said, "Why not? It's only money." So old habits that seemed rigid or intransigent may be softening and moving toward more balance.