Photographed By Raven Ishak; Illustrated By Ly Ngo.Valentine’s Day has come and gone and with that the most recent installment of special-occasion sex. So, now our focus can revert back to more important things like, well, finances.
While getting it on is a surefire way to be happier and healthier, a newly released survey found that 62% of American adults think about money more often than sex (major yikes). Perhaps extra cringe-worthy is that more than a quarter of Americans in a romantic relationship reported money woes affect how often they want to do the dirty with their partner. The survey conducted by Harris Poll (commissioned by finance data platform Yodlee) included 2,039 adults, ages 18 and older, from 2010 U.S. census data.
Here’s the super-freaky part: Money didn’t just screw with the libidos of people with tight finances. It even messed with those in higher-income brackets. The poll found 26% of couples that earned $100,000 or more per year dealt with damaged sex drives because they were too preoccupied with their bank accounts.
Despite the desire to point fingers at older people, the survey found money-related sexual hang-ups were more prominent in younger adults (those 18 to 34). And, though it suggests women are more likely to fixate on money than men — 77% versus 46% — a nearly identical number of paired-up ladies and gents reported decreased sexual desire due to financial stress. Could it be that talking about money, or lack of it, with a partner is behind these dry spells? While it's understandable that low funds and low sex drives go hand in hand, there's one thing we're certain of: Avoiding sex won’t make you any richer. (Yodlee)