Catherine Rampell of the New York Times explores this phenomenon, noting that misers and free-spenders may take a liking to one another because "what we hate in ourselves, we also hate in other people. And the more we hate that quality in ourselves, the more we avoid it." In other words, if you're terribly cheap, and embarrassed about it, you're more likely to seek out a big spender who seems to be comfortable dropping some serious cash.

But after the initial thrill of living vicariously through one's partner is erased, the realities of marriage begin to set in: anyone who has ever gone out to dinner with a couple who cant stop fighting about money knows how awkward and intense it can be: money can turn a beautiful romance into a truly ugly partnership in the time it takes the waiter to bring the bill to the table.

Rampell notes that this is a phenomenon that can be applied to many aspects of dating: we often seek out someone who will "erase" the things we dislike about ourselves, but in the long run, we find that we'd be happier with someone who sees the world the way we do: "just like the proverbial woman who says she wants a nice guy but really goes for the bad boys," Rampell writes, "people are also just plain bad at predicting what they want in love and marriage."

I have seen this phenomenon work both ways: I've seen couples completely deteriorate due solely to money issues: "He's so selfish!" "She's so greedy" and so on and so forth, but I've also seen opposite spenders find a way to make it work: my mother likes to spend, and my father likes to save, and they've been together for over 35 years. (Although in fairness I think it's more like "My mother likes to shop, my father would wear the same jeans from 1984 if his wife and daughters didn't bother him about it.")

So what say you, commenters? Do you find yourself attracted to people with similar spending habits? Or do you prefer to seek out your opposite? And if so, how has it worked for you thus far?

I Say Spend. You Say No. We're In Love. [NYTimes]

Asked on "Hardball" about the repeated recalls of Chinese-made toys, Burnett said: "If China were to revalue its currency, or China is to start making, say, toys that don't have lead in them or food that isn't poisonous, their costs of production are going to go up, and that means prices at Wal-Mart here in the United States are going to go up too."

Paralegal: I have to ask, is there any reason you just stopped paying your bills?
Me: Um, well I used to be a journalist. It's a dying industry, you know.
Paralegal: Uh-huh.
Me: But I got out of that racket. Now I have a "real job." So anyway, I've been thinking about this credit crunch, and I'd really like to do my part to help you financial institutions out, but I can't pay it off in full. But, like, if I pay half of this off now, and half next month, what can you do for me?
Paralegal: I was just about to offer you; if you pay it off now, I can knock off $2,000 and you'll be paid in full.
Me: But I can't pay it off all now. I can only pay half.
Paralegal: Uh, okay, well, let me ask.
Me: Thanks!
Paralegal: Okay, done!

Looking Good At CNBC (And Pretty, Too)
[Washington Post]