The Real Reason You Can’t Keep a Budget | Take My Money Values Personality Quiz

In talking with countless people about their money, I’ve seen a lot of trends emerge in terms of how people view budgeting based on what they value about money. If you know me, you know I LOVE personality tests– I find them to be interesting and a great starting point for looking inward and determining how I view myself and how others view me. So I had the idea to actually make a personality quiz based on your money values.

I hope it’s clear to everyone that this is not scientific, and it’s only based on my very limited observational knowledge. That being said, I thought it’d be fun to have my viewers take the quiz, see your results, and comment below with what you think.

So, let’s get into it! As we go through, keep track of how many times you answered 1, 2, or 3. 

Question 1: Choose the answer that best describes your views on money.

1. Money means security
2. Money means utility
3. Money means freedom and enjoyment

Question 2: Choose the answer that best describes your values on money.

1. I value feeling like everything will be okay
2. I value my time and energy
3. I value a high quality of life

Question 3: Choose the answer that best describes your goals with money.

1. I want to feel safe, even if something expensive comes up
2. I don’t want to have to think so much about money
3. I want to be able to invest in quality goods and experiences that bring me joy

Question 4: Choose the answer that best describes your feelings surrounding money.

1. I feel anxious and insecure about my finances
2. I feel somewhat secure about my finances
3. I feel very secure about my finances

Question 5: Choose the answer that best describes how you feel about spending money.

1. Spending money, even on things I need, often makes me feel guilty
2. I don’t feel guilty about buying things I need, but I want to be able to spend more on things I want
3. I don’t feel guilty spending money on experiences or nice things

Results

If you answered mostly 1’s: Type 1 – Security & Control

You arguably need a budget more than anyone else, because you likely get anxiety about your money when you don’t have a plan for it. This doesn’t mean you don’t still avoid it, though, especially if you have feelings of shame around money. Your money type is a result of your past, and being the Security & Control type suggests that you have had financial uncertainty in your life. This money type can result in extreme frugality to create a semblance of control, but it can also lead to overspending as a result of avoidance behaviors. It’s time to address all of this, because there’s no better time than now to change your life forever. 

If you answered mostly 2’s: Type 2 – Comfort & Convenience

You care about using money as a tool to make your life better, and that’s a beautiful thing. Keeping a budget, for you, is a way to sharpen that tool and make sure you aren’t overspending in the name of “improving” your life– because let’s be honest, you aren’t making your life better if you’re unable to save for your future or, worse, you go into debt to live the life you think you want. The Comfort & Convenience money type is such a great place to be, but you need a plan (AKA a budget) to be sure that you can set yourself up for Comfort & Convenience, and eventually abundance, in the rest of your life– NOT just today.

If you answered mostly 3’s: Type 3 – Freedom & Enjoyment

This money type, too, is a beautiful place to be. You understand that money means freedom, and you are willing to invest in quality for yourself and your life. You also have a sense of security with your finances, something that is extremely rare and yet so important for making the right moves with money. All you need is a road map– an actual plan to make sure you’re optimizing your money, and to ensure that you’re not overspending on high quality items and amazing experiences now while neglecting your future self. 

Of course, these are not always mutually exclusive, and sometimes we cycle through each type as we grow and our lives change. For example, I used to be firmly in the security & control type, but after years of working on my budget AND my mindset, I am now somewhere between type 2 and type 3. 

Also, keep in mind that each type has qualities that are good and ones that could be detrimental. None are really “better” than the others necessarily, it all depends on how these values translate to your real life money management.

So, how do you use this information about your money type to your advantage when it comes to budgeting?

I actually made an entire product dedicated to this, called my Money Map Workbook. I love this product so much, because it not only tackles budgeting basics in plain English with minimal math, but it also spends a lot of time focusing on MINDSET and VALUES. Simply trying to make a budget without having a clear goal in mind, or trying to get a hold of your money while still holding on tight to limiting beliefs or bad messaging you received growing up will not get you anywhere. 

If money were purely mathematical, we’d all be in a better position. Money is difficult because it’s emotional, psychological, and many of our feelings about it are grounded in our experiences growing up or the societal messages we internalized– without really questioning if those messages truly serve us. My Money Map Workbook also takes your money type into account, and gives extra insights based on your type.

If this sounds like something that would be helpful for you, get my Money Map Workbook. If you’d rather start with a budget before diving into the Money Map Workbook, you can also get my budget templates for free.

🙂 Rachel