A team led by University of Georgia researchers surveyed more than 100 Georgia couples. Husbands and wives answered questions separately about their spending and saving habits, their income, and their satisfaction with both finances and marriage.
Lead author Jamie Lynn Byram, a lecturer in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, reported that partners who saw each other as "savers" tended to report higher marital happiness and better financial well-being. Coauthor John Grable, a professor of family and consumer sciences, said perceptions mattered more than actual financial data: people’s satisfaction came more from how they saw their partner’s behaviour than from objective measures.
The study also found sex differences. When a wife called herself a spender, she often felt comfortable with the couple’s finances and this comfort increased her husband’s confidence in the marriage. Wives reported greater satisfaction when they viewed their husbands as savers. Researchers emphasized that communication about money helps build understanding and empathy.
Difficult words
- survey — to ask many people questionssurveyed
- satisfaction — feeling that needs or wants are met
- well-being — state of good health and happiness
- perception — the way someone understands or thinksperceptions
- saver — person who keeps money instead of spendingsavers
- spender — person who often buys things with money
- communication — sharing information or feelings with others
- empathy — ability to understand another person's feelings
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Have you or someone you know talked openly about money with a partner? What happened after that conversation?
- Do you think it is better for a couple if one partner is a saver and the other a spender? Why or why not?
- What are simple ways couples can improve communication about their finances?
