The Bankrupt Benefactor

You're quick to brandish your credit card to please the people you love.

Diagnosis: you're trying to buy love or affection, most likely out of guilt from spending time away from home, says financial-advisor Richard Salmen.

Prescription: set up a Christmas or birthday savings account and squirrel away a little each week. When the date nears, your balance is your budget. Period. Then do as Salmen tells his clients: make up the difference with quality time at home.

The Spreadsheet Junkie

Your accounting statements receive more loving attention than your wife.

Diagnosis: you think you're simply controlling your money,but it's controlling you.

Prescription: ask yourself this, "If I had a day to live, how would I spend it?" Logging more time in Excel won't make the cut. "It'll remind you that loved ones - not money - are what's important," says George Kinder, founder of the California-based Kinder Institute of Life Planning. After your reality check, relinquish complete control by giving your wife financial responsibility in some areas.

The Show-Off

You have 30 new belts (and you don't take karate) and you habitually buy rounds for your friends and colleagues.

Diagnosis: people who try hard to impress or gain acceptance in a more affluent herd tend to overspend, reveals Dr Viviana Zelizer, a professor of sociology at Princeton University in the US.

Prescription: use peer pressure to do good. Sign on at wesabe.com, a supersafe, international-financial-support community that allows users to provide feedback to others on saving and spending wisely.

Australia-specific subjects can be found at: wesabe.com/groups/30-australia-wesabeans.

The Procrastinator

You catch up on bills in random bursts and you're afraid to look at your credit report.

Diagnosis: this is often a sign of rigid compartmentalisation, where you divide life into separate chunks. It's a survival tactic - an indication that you're merely existing and not actually living your life, says Kinder.

Prescription: set up auto BillPay, but link a savings goal with a passion - a display case for your spider collection or a surfing tour of Africa. It'll give you a reason to engage with your money regularly.

The Hoarder

You feel guilty about buying new shoes, but gleeful when adding to your sauce-packet stash.

Diagnosis: "These are hard workers who obsess about the future," Salmen says. Denying fun that comes with a price tag is a form of self-preservation.

Prescription: hire an accountant. "Seeing an objective analysis that the future is secure will set you free," says Kinder. "You need permission to spend and a reminder that it can add to your quality of life."