The New Sexy

It is easy to assume most single people are looking for a supermodel type or someone with six-pack abs. If they had a brush with a financially unstable hottie, then probably not. Main Street’s recent article details how being good with money is the new sexy.

Women who require expensive dates and lavish presents resemble a bad investment. This is a sign of someone who will be financially irresponsible in a relationship.  There are other clues including impulse buys, buying items at peak prices, an excess of gadgets, clothes, and memberships that are never used. If a person is more about appearances than substance, expect financial hardship down the road.

Dates who brag about clubs they’re a member of or vacations at well-advertised resorts are all about appearances. This person will have little time or money to invest in a relationship because his or her goal is to be riding the latest trend.  Often they want to live like a celebrity on a non-celebrity paycheck. 

It’s hard to enjoy life when consumed with thoughts of how to pay your mortgage. If you have a date/companion who balks at an ordinary movie and dinner date to decrease your stress level, then you’ve encountered someone who doesn’t care about you. What you really have is someone who will leave you for someone who will spend more money.  This isn’t love, but more of a bidding war. Get out while you can.

It shouldn’t be too surprising that early disagreements about money are a predictor of a relationship failure. Couples with different financial backgrounds have trouble combining their views.  An adult from a wealthy or an indulgent family may buy big-ticket items willy-nilly without a thought to the combined finances.

Partners/Dates who are financially irresponsible often put a strain on the relationship. Sometimes they want the partner to bail them out from letting them move in or having them pay their charge card bills. Views regarding money shapes people’s financial outlook. Spending money can sometimes be a power trip for some people. Even if they are spending money that they don’t have.

 Most relationships end due to money problems or infidelity, sometimes both. It is no wonder that having experienced this type of financial trauma most people want to avoid it. Living within your means results in a happy, stable relationship as opposed to the unexpected surprise of one that careens out of control, wildly due to impulsive spending.

Men interviewed for the article explained that they found women with planned buying habits sexy. Saving for a purchase as opposed to buying on a whim is the new push-up bra. Looks are less important than previously thought. Sound money decisions makes a person more attractive. How important money decisions are also depends on age too.  Those thirty and over are tired of digging change out of the sofa for a drive-thru dinner. To avoid this scenario, they're willing to put more emphasis on financial stability than looks.

Chemistry still holds the number one place in choosing a mate, but financial acumen can create the spark. It’s something to think about.