Paypal recently did a very interesting survey on money, love, and relationships. The survey, called “Can’t Buy Me Love”, uncovered some very interesting results:

-Money beats out sex and house-cleaning as the number one issue couples fight about - 37% of young couples report that they fight more about money than cleaning (34%) or frequency of sex (28%)

- Couples hide purchases from their partners - 82% of all respondents surveyed said they hide shopping bags and purchases from their partner. Note: I used to do this quite a bit. Like most addicts, I was ashamed of what I did (overspending/overpurchasing) , so I tried to hide it. I do know some women who do this cause they are married to stingy men.

-Couples use money as a means of control in their relationship - 57% of all respondents surveyed feel that money is used as a means of control in their relationship, determining when and how they choose to shop. Note: Yes, Yes, Yes. Fortunately, this isn’t a big deal in my marriage, but I do know some people who are with spouses that make more money than they do and who are made to feel guilty about the purchases they make.. even the ones that are for the household.

-Lack of money is the biggest financial fear - for 43% of respondents is not having enough money to live the lives they want