Magpie for you, Dolphin for me: how Kiwis rate their partner's money personality

We asked 808 people in the My Future Lifestyle quiz to pick the animal that best matches their own money personality. Then we asked 786 of them to do the same for their partner.

The answers were... not the same.

The five money animals

Quick refresher on the cast, in case you have yet to take the quiz:

• Dolphin - sociable and easygoing with money. Happy to spend on good times with good people, sensible enough to keep an eye on the balance.
• Fox - the clever one. Loves a deal, a loyalty scheme, a bit of strategy. Always has an angle.
• Meerkat - alert. Head up, scanning the horizon, aware of what is coming and keen to be ready for it.
• Ant - steady saver. Small amounts, all the time, year after year. Quietly builds a very impressive pile.
• Magpie - drawn to the shiny thing. Gadgets, treats, the nice version rather than the cheap version. Life is for enjoying.

Here is the fun bit

When people described themselves, Magpie came last. Just 55 of 808 picked it, or about 7%.

When those same people described their partner, Magpie shot up to second place - 139 of 786, around 18%.

So the shiny-thing lover is roughly two and a half times more common when someone else is doing the rating. Funny how that works.

The Fox went the other way. About 18% of people called themselves a Fox (143 of 808), while only around 9% gave their partner the title (72 of 786). Turns out we rather like thinking of ourselves as the clever one with the angle.

Dolphin stayed top of the pile either way, though it shrank a bit - 46% for self, 35% for partners. Meerkat and Ant were the steady ones, barely moving: Meerkat 17% versus 15%, Ant 13% versus 14%. Nobody seems to argue about who the savers are.

(Worth noting 69 people, about 9%, told us they do not have a partner, which is part of why the partner numbers sit a little lower across the board.)

What it might be telling us

There are a couple of ways to read it. Maybe we genuinely see our partner's spending more clearly than our own - their coffee habit is obvious, ours is essential. Or maybe we each quietly cast ourselves as the sensible one in the relationship.

Either way, it is a nice reminder that two people can be looking at the same bank account and seeing two different stories.

That matters a bit when you start planning the next chapter. Of the 783 people who told us their ideal future, 303 - about 39% - said they would like to travel often and live comfortably. That is a shared picture. It helps if you are both sketching it with the same pencil.

Curious which animal you are, and whether your partner agrees? Have a crack at the My Future Lifestyle quiz and compare notes over a cuppa. If the conversation gets interesting, a licensed financial adviser can help you work through what it means for your own situation.

This article is general information only and is not personalised financial advice.