You can’t take it with you.
But you really, really need it while you’re here.
A full 70% of Americans say they’ve cried over something related to money, according to a recent survey by Comparecards.com
Sometimes, you have so little to begin with – and then, after just one bad month, the universe starts taking your dollars away, hundreds of them at a time. The emotional result can be staggering.
“Some people’s financial margin for error is so slim that an unexpected car repair can be a real hardship,” said Matt Schulz, CampareCards’ chief industry analyst, in a press release. “Then, if you factor in things like job loss or a medical emergency, that can make things every worse.”
So who’s crying?
The answer may surprise you…
Men. Men are bigger blubberers than you’d think when it comes to their wallet. For example, 47% of men agree that money makes them more emotional than anything else, compared to 34% of women.
They cry when their money is going well, too. Men were twice as likely as women to say they were brought to tears by a positive event related to their bankroll.
Young people. Gen Z and Millennials get overemotional when it comes to cash. Nearly 48% of Millennials and a similar percentage of Gen Z say they’re cried over their earnings at least once in the past month.
Millennials in particular are crunched for cash because they’re under the gun for student loans, and likely to be first-time parents and raising children on a limited income.
Over what?
There are a number of impossible situations that drive people to tears.
- Debt
Ah, the rapacious creditor. He’s brought us all to tears a few times. Overall, owing money is the biggest factor making people bawl – perhaps because there are so making forms of debt.
Household debt is the most popular, at 31%, followed by high-interest credit card balances: 20% said that this seemingly-impossible trap made them weep.
- Unemployment: 15%
- Cost of living problems, like rent or mortgage difficulties: 14%
- A too-tight budget: 14%
- Medical debt: 12%
The high emotional lability of these problems is because they seem to be beyond people’s control, said Schulz – and for many, that’s the tipping point into tears. It’s especially crazy-making if someone is working hard, paying off what they can, and “still can’t get a break,” says Shulz.
As stark financial realist Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” says, “Money is neutral.”
Americans are tearing up more recently than not…
- 36% of respondents said they cried over cash in the last month.
- 21% said they cried over it sometime in the past year.
Happy money, happy tears
Some forget that money brings tears of joy, as well. While three-fourths of respondents sobbed over negative emotions, 29% cried because they were well, happy.
- 13% cried because of a financial windfall, changing their lives forever
- 12% shed tears upon receiving a gift
- People with higher incomes were more likely to cry because of something financially positive
Let’s hope that our next round of tears over our finances will be tears of happiness, as well. A raise? Could be in the future.
Originally published on The Ladders.
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