How Intuitives can be better with money...

[Uberfuhrer]

I've read a lot of articles that state how N's are generally poor at handling money because money is a so-called practical matter.

However, I think it is the N who is actually better with money, and I am going to explain.

While an N will probably see something they want and be more likely to not consider price, the way they are better with money is because they look at a purchase in terms of its meaning. I think N's are less likely to go to the store and buy things because they look nice like the S. The N's purchase tends to sort out the less obvious purpose of the item, and they can better sense how they are going to use things, simply because they are more intuitive.

I even know a lot of SJ's who buy things but throw them out in a week after they're done with it. One example is a treadmill that an SJ I know bought. After she gave up interest in exercising, she would throw the treadmill out. When she decided to exercise again, she had to spend money on another treadmill. And the dance kept repeating.

The thing is, a Sensor is more likely to buy things based on their beauty, like decorating their house or something like that. A lot of things have beauty, but considerably fewer things are of actual meaning. The point is that while an Intuitive has little interest in managing their money, they are also less likely to be conspicuous spenders, since the material things they possess are normally an expression of personal identity rather than for showing off.

In terms of worldly pursuits, the Intuitive is actually the one who is more practical. In this way, the N is more in tune with the object's usefulness.

[Llenyd]

I think money management is more of a J/P thing. A J is more likely to make a budget and more likely to set aside a specific time to pay the bills.

My SP friends are notoriously bad with money, and I haven't balanced my checkbook in over 10 years.

[Randomnity]

Any smart person will try to get the most value for their money. Value depends on the item and the person. Ie for a painting, most people would buy the one that looks nice vs the one that is guaranteed to last, whereas for a DVD player it would be the converse, regardless of type. One person may value beauty more in a given object while another values use--and most people value both in varying amounts. There might be a correlation with type but I think it's less than you're suggesting.

Your SJ friend sounds retarded btw. Who throws out an expensive treadmill after a week? Buying it and not using it would be more my style.

[Llenyd]

Originally Posted by Randomnity

Who throws out an expensive treadmill after a week? Buying it and not using it would be more my style.

A treadmill always gets use. It's just that sometimes that use is a glorified coat rack.

[runvardh]

"But isn't buying it on SALE mean you're getting value? I mean, its on SALE!"

My great aunt throws out a ton of junk every month because of this mentality. The birthday presents she gives always includes food and soda; I have learned to always check the dates on everything. Ever drank pop that had moulded while still sealed?

[ptgatsby]

Far as I know, N's aren't any better or worse than Ss. It just doesn't have that much influence.

Having said that, money habits are extremely complex - culture and upbringing are the dominant factors, I believe (and includes religion, which has a serious impact in the cases of Islam or any of the anti-materialism religions).

I know that there is a lot of applied psychology in ads, but again, it seems like it is just a matter of target marketing, not a significant net differece. For example, ads will tend to focus along certain behavioural traits, such as impulsivity being related to certain products that also offer immediate rewards. These aren't just along personality traits either and often exploit certain suggestive triggers along age, sex, culture, religion, social needs and so forth.

In any case, there are a ton of false assumptions when it comes to money, especially in the area of behaviour. In fact, in terms of behaviour, being open barely matters at all (except when it comes to status items). I would expect it to be similar for Ns. One of the biggest influences is actually E, althought the single biggest factor (by a gigantic amount) for budget and spending control, is "J". Ironically even the impact is counter-intuitive - E's actually worry about money a lot more than Is, while Js worry less because they excersize more control!

In any case, there are quite a few personality influence theories, none of which are really that great (A Keirsey view of money).

[Llenyd]

Originally Posted by runvardh

"But isn't buying it on SALE mean you're getting value? I mean, its on SALE!"

That reminds me of the old joke:
A woman will pay $1 for an item worth $2 that she never uses.
A man will pay $2 for an item worth $1 that he uses every day.

[Athenian200]

I think that N_J's might be good with money, but I doubt N_P's would be, unless they had developed their practical side. I think Extraverts might be more likely to worry about social aspects and what is thought of them, and thus spend money they can't really afford. So, I think that all the I__J types are probably best with money, followed closely by E__J's.

[Cindyrella]

I doubt this has anything to do with type.

[Natrushka]

Originally Posted by ptgatsby

Far as I know, N's aren't any better or worse than Ss. It just doesn't have that much influence.

Having said that, money habits are extremely complex - culture and upbringing are the dominant factors, I believe.

I'd buy that for a dollar

Me, N, incredibly budget minded (I've even made up spreadsheets)
Husband, S, flighty, spendy, worries about money, but can't seem to save any.

Guess which one of us came from a household where things were bought on a budget and no one lived above their means and which one of us came from a household where dad held down two jobs so they could "keep up with the Jones'" - never having a spare dime to their name?