You might have heard the saying “There are no atheists in foxholes.” A brief blurb in the latest Money magazine suggests the aphorism concocted for the headline above.
Looking for long-term love? Don’t splurge for dinner on your first date. A study from the University of Michigan found that savers are seen as better matches — and more attractive — than spenders. “Spending can signal a lack of control, whereas saving implies self-control, which is highly desirable,” says Jenny Olson, a co-author of the study, in which participants judged people after viewing their dating-profile photos and hearing comments about their spending habits.
What you’re saving for affects your appeal as well. Socking away money for a down payment on a home was seen as sexier than saving for an audio system. The only place spenders fared well was when subjects were looking for short-term fun. “Everyone values saving,” says Olson, “whether they’re a saver or a spender.”
So when it comes to spending other people’s money, baseless Keynesian ideas might sound good. When it comes to your own material well-being, you’re much more likely to be a supply-sider.
(Note to humorless, left-of-center Internet trolls: This is a lighthearted post, not one designed to put forth some grand, evidence-backed theory.)
