Opinion: Being Financially Responsible Is The Sexiest Trait A Man Can Have

Most millennials have some amount of debt, whether it’s a student loan or a credit card balance back from when you were literally living on rice and beans trying to land a job. But there’s a difference between debt and being financially responsible, and every guy should figure that out.

  1. A guy with a plan is incredibly sexy. He may have debt but he has a feasible plan in mind to tackle it. Thus, he knows it won’t be an issue in a few years. Taking responsibility for your own money is such a great trait. It’s a topic that’s often hard to come to terms with or talk about openly, but when a guy faces it head-on, it shows he’s responsible and mature enough to successfully manage a household.
  2. He knows better than to spend his entire paycheck on crap for himself. Don’t date a guy who literally treats his paycheck as an adult the same way he did when he had that retail job as a teen. It’s nice to treat yourself every once in a while, but an adult knows that he’s got to take care of the important stuff first and that the video game can wait a month or two.
  3. It’s nice to be in a relationship where you’re not worried about late charges. It’s kind of nice that you won’t have to panic about whether or not your guy paid the electric bill this month. He already thought up a plan to make sure that all of his bills are taken care of on time. That means you won’t worry about the lights getting shut off while you’re spending the weekend at his place.
  4. Dates are much more enjoyable. A guy who’s irresponsible with his finances might order big to impress you but freeze when his card gets declined. Someone who’s a bit more responsible knows what he can pay for and would rather treat you to burgers if money is a little tight because he knows the only thing that actually matters is time spent with you.
  5. You won’t feel like you’re dating a man-child. It happens—when you feel like you have to constantly meddle in on your guy’s finances, you feel like you’re taking care of a teen who just got their first credit card. It sucks to lecture an adult about why you should always make credit card payments and why due dates matter. Women take on enough responsibilities in the relationship as-is. If he can’t at least get his money in order, will you ever be able to have a future with this guy?
  6. Confident guys know money isn’t everything. If he’s comfortable with himself, he wouldn’t be overly upset about what’s currently out of his range. I’d rather have a guy cook up some ramen for lunch than sit around and moan about how he can’t afford to check out the sushi place up the street. The best couples both go through these hardships and it helps them get through anything together. By working hard, one day you’ll both be able to go on fancier dates. For now, it should be more about making sure you have compatible personalities and fun together regardless of what you’re doing.
  7. It’s sexy to know your guy isn’t hiding any secrets. It’s possible he’s not even telling you how bad of a financial situation he’s in. Can you imagine marrying this guy and then realizing he’s $50,000 in debt? Now it’s your responsibility if you choose to combine finances. Even if a situation isn’t great, it’s better and sexier for a guy to be upfront about it. Keeping it private is just unfair.
  8. The right guy will own up to past mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, and perhaps your guy went on a bit of a spending spree in the past that he’s still paying for today. Instead of feeling ashamed, it’s pretty sexy if he admits he’s grown a lot since. Sometimes life lessons can be expensive, but they’re worth it in the long run if he’s proven he’s learned from them.
  9. It’s sexy for him to take on extra work if times are tight. Nobody likes working two jobs, but it’s sexy when a guy takes on extra work to earn some more cash. He’s also not ashamed to take on a less-desirable title since he knows that the most important thing is making sure he’s building up a savings account.
  10. He’s already saving for a future with you. If this guy is “The One” and a proposal is in the near future, it’s just really amazing that he’s already thinking about future expenses. Even though there’s nothing wrong with renting, it’s still incredible to see him save for a downpayment for a house someday, and college for your future kids, if you choose to have them. Saving will make you feel secure. Seriously, is there any better feeling?
Karen Belz is a New Jersey native who is currently living in Maryland. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication with a focus in Broadcasting and Print Media Studies from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Since graduating, she has written for sites like LittleThings, HelloGiggles, and Scary Mommy and is currently an e-commerce editor at Bustle.

When she's not writing, she enjoys making her phone run out of memory after taking too many photos of her dog. You can find her on Twitter @karenebelz or on Instagram @karenbelz.
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