The Hoarder usually has a secret stash of money. She may have no purpose to the stash other than knowing that she has a pile of money close at-hand and it is growing. Hoarders will give up a purchase rather than cut into their stockpile—they are naturally cautious spenders. But holding onto money for its own sake isn’t necessarily the best money management approach. Investing and donating are also part of a good money management plan. If you won’t let your money out of your sight, it can’t work and grow for you. Make sure to put your money into a savings account or other investment vehicle so it can earn interest.

The Spendthrift can’t wait to spend the cash windfall from a birthday gift or the money earned walking the neighbor’s dogs. For her, money equals enjoyment, pleasure, and self-indulgence. She can be wonderfully spontaneous, but if her spending runs amok it can mean trouble down the line with credit cards and debt. The Spendthrift should look into automatic savings plans (often available on-line), and should create a plan for donating a portion of their money on a regular basis.

The Scrimper watches every penny and takes pleasure in saving, choosing less over more every time. He is terrific at finding a deal, and spends wisely. Friends and relatives may have a hard time dealing with his choices if he always eats at the cheapest restaurants, watches DVDs instead of going to movies, etc. He may find it hard to treat himself even when he really deserves it, and at times he might want to practice being more generous with your money.

The Giver is generous to friends and strangers. She always has a dollar for the homeless person who asks for money, and you is always willing to lend money to friends, even the ones that take months to pay her back. She may have a hard time saving “no,” because she can always understand what other people are going through. Be sure she learns to budget, save, and invest so that she can take care of herself as well as others.

The Beggar has large material wants, is hard to satisfy, and often feels entitled to the good things in life. If you see The Beggar is a product of society and very powerful corporate marketing machines. But you can make some changes and some different choices to help him. He needs to practice sharing and donating  time and money—he really won’t need all the stuff to feel good about himself. And help him save for some of the things he wants instead of “begging.” He may be surprised to find out that new stuff feels even better when he buys it!

The Hustler sees a “deal” in every transaction. For him an allowance may be just a starting point as he tries to double, triple, and leverage any income or financial gift in as many ways as possible. He may be drawn toward business and you will work hard to make money.He  may be a money savvy negotiator, but he needs help checking his moral compass as he cuts the deals.

The Oblivious simply refuses to engage in any sort of conversation related to money and responsibility. She intuitively knows that paying attention to money and finances means she’ll be responsible for her actions, so she avoids learning about money at all costs.. She may even dream about “marrying rich” or living with her parents forever, so she’ll never have to really deal with money. She must at least learn the basics in order to understand whether or not the people who will be helping you to manage finances are doing a good job. Learning about money is like learning a language—after some lessons and a few years of practice, she’ll master the basic money skills and be financially fluent.