Financial Infidelity Inventory

Financial Infidelity Inventory

Financial Infidelity Inventory

All item categories: Garbinsky, E. N., Gladstone, J. J., Nikolova, H., & Olson, J. G. (2020). Love, Lies, and Money: Financial Infidelity in Romantic Relationships. Journal of Consumer Research, 47(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucz052. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. Item wording in this version has been adapted; not for commercial use.

A 12-item self-report measure of financial disclosure patterns in committed relationships

Respond to each statement based on how true it is of you and your current relationship. There are no right or wrong answers — most people fall somewhere in the middle on several items. Rate each on a scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree).

Spending

1. If I wanted something my partner wouldn’t approve of the cost of, I’d likely buy it anyway and just not mention it.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

2. I’d rather my partner not look through my purchase history or receipts.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

Saving

3. My partner has a fully accurate picture of how much I’ve saved. reverse-scored

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

4. There have been times I’ve let my partner believe I was setting money aside when I wasn’t.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

Debts

5. I’d keep a bill from my partner if I thought showing it to them would cause an argument.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

6. In a short-term money crunch, I’d open a line of credit without telling my partner.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

Gift-Giving

7. I sometimes downplay what I actually spend on gifts so I don’t have to explain myself.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

8. My partner would know, down to the dollar, what I spend on gifts for friends and family. reverse-scored

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

Gambling

9. If I lost money gambling, I wouldn’t necessarily bring it up with my partner.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

10. If I came out ahead on a bet, I might spend it on myself quietly rather than mention it.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

Income

11. If money came to me unexpectedly (a bonus, an inheritance), part of me would want to keep some of it just for me to spend as I like.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

12. I’d rather my partner not know the full details of what I earn.

Strongly DisagreeStrongly Agree

Items 3 and 8 are reverse-scored (8 − response) before totaling, consistent with the original scale’s response-consistency check.

If your results raise questions worth exploring further, learn more about Financial Infidelity Therapy and how Debra Kaplan can help.

Want to talk through your results?

Debra Kaplan, MA, MBA, LPC, CSAT-S, specializes in financial infidelity, betrayal trauma, and relational dynamics. Reach out to schedule a consultation.

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