By Molly Blake


DIFFERENCES IN MONEY HABITS OF MEN & WOMEN


A GUIDE TO THE W


HEN JEN HATZUNG FIRST TOURED A 100-YEAR-OLD, CLARET-COLORED


CATALOG HOUSE, IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, SHE WAS SMITTEN. But the online content strategist and podcaster didn’t think she and her husband, Scott, were fi nancially stable enough to make such a massive purchase. “Buying a house seemed really scary,” says Jen,


32. “I wanted assurance that with a mortgage, our current lifestyle wouldn’t change and we would still continue saving for the future.” It’s not surprising that Jen took a cautious


approach to such a big purchase, says Sandy Franks, the founder of T e Women’s Financial Alliance, an online community for women seeking fi nancial advice. “Women are more risk-aware when it comes to money—we take our time and look at all the factors and take everything into consideration,” Franks says. “I think it’s a positive thing.” T at cautious approach did indeed prove


constructive for Jen and Scott. T e two laid out all their daily expenditures, everything from trips to Target to grocery bills, vacations and investments. T en they added in a mortgage payment. T ey also padded their budget, knowing Jen’s weakness for Pinterest-style decorating projects and shoe shopping and Scott’s love of home improvement undertakings. A few weeks later, a newly minted budget in hand, they made an off er on the home, moved in and shared a celebratory glass of lemonade on their beautiful front porch. “Scott’s always been more comfortable with big


purchases,” Jen says. “It’s the little costs, like haircuts, that drive him crazy.”


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