Financial savvy and intelligence don’t necessarily come in a package deal. Money skills are the product of attention to detail, logic and experience, and a shortfall in any of those categories can lead to financial disaster for brainiacs.

Budgets Are Sexy takes a look at reasons smart people can be dumb with money:

*Letting sales and discounts suck them in. The allure of a “good deal” can compel people to buy stuff they didn’t otherwise plan on acquiring.

*Treating different categories of expenses differently. The writer uses the example of unexpected bank fees versus expected gambling losses. Emotional and pre-decided ties to expenditures can twist the way people budget and spend funds.

*Focusing on percentages rather than actual figures. If someone’s willing to drive across town to save $25 off a $50 item, but too lazy to do the same to save $25 off a $1,950 purchase, something is askew.

What financial goofs have you noticed smart people making?

Why Smart People Make Bad Spending Decisions [Budgets Are Sexy]

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