Tightwads and Spendthrifts

A revolutionary guide to navigating the financial aspects of intimate relationships.

Scott Rick thinks everyone in a relationship has to ask two related questions: "How important is it if my spending habits differ from that of my significant other? What if I'm a tightwad and they are a spendthrift?" Rick, a psychologist at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, knows that money issues in a relationship is a minefield and thinks that navigating it without first discussing is a recipe for failure, especially if two people have different approaches to spending.

His new book, Tightwads and Spendthrifts, is a science-based guide to understanding and transforming how we manage money, both on our own and in relationships. Building on his original research, and surveying a vast body of interdisciplinary work, Tightwads and Spendthrifts will help you understand your own financial psychology and how it plays out in your relationships. "Can tightwads and spendthrifts live together in harmony?" Rick says "yes," but not without doing some hard work on the issue that begins with a game plan for navigating financial decisions.

To get the process going, he lays out the hard questions couples have to ask. His advice: Ask the important questions early to avoid the money minefield later. Tightwads and Spendthrifts is a prescription for both sound finances and a happy life.