So we recently asked 1,000 Americans, ages 18 and up, for their take on how money affects romantic desirability. Think you know all about how much money it takes to attract a mate? And how it makes them feel when you spend too little (or too much)? Test your financial mojo with this quiz. Have fun and good luck—your next relationship could hang in the balance.

Click here for the answers.

How did you make out? Are you surprised by any of this gender money stuff or does it make perfect sense to you? See what the New York Times had to say about our Battle of the Sexes Survey and how you can be frugal and still sexy.

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Answer: 61% of men find frugal blind dates to be both smart and sexy. On the other hand, only 44% of women feel the same about a frugal blind date.

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Answer: False. Women are twice as likely to be upset by a partner who doesn’t spend enough on them. Fellas, see previous answer about “sexy” and try to remember this little tip come next Valentine’s Day.

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Answer: True. The women we asked are 53% more likely to conceal a purchase.

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Answer: False. On the contrary, 68% of American men and women agree that women are better at things like managing household finances, bills and spending. Isn’t that right, dear?

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Answer: While Americans think women are better at household finances, more than 60% of Americans think that men are master investors. What else? Men are also almost twice as confident as women (29% vs. 18%) about investing in the stock market and putting money into retirement accounts.

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Answer: Given the ultimatum between sex and being debt-free, 56% of women choose being debt-free.

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Answer: Sex & alcohol. Chocolate is a keeper, apparently. To make debt disappear, women are less willing to give up the sweet stuff along with the shopping trips (39%) than they are about getting their sex and booze on (16%).

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Answer: They’re all true.

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Answer: The last one is false. It’s not exactly a shocker, but when it comes to accumulating more debt and money woes in general, women are more upset about the personal stuff. Men are just the opposite.

How often do you think about money and saving? Do you ever escape it, or is it always lodged in your subconscious?

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” - Henry Ford

I think about money all the time, I’m not going to lie.

Right now, I’m thinking about money all the time because I don’t have any. We are broke, with Bear still unemployed. It has been a long 8 months, let me tell you.

We thought he had a job at the end of June. He had been offered a position but then a hiring freeze went into effect at the company and suddenly the job that was going to save our financial tails was gone. Poof, like magic.

We are currently working with a severe deficit. The savings have run out and now it all depends on my salary, which does not cover all our expenses.

Bear has been unemployed since January and I have to be honest, the savings/tax refund/bonus money is gone. GONE. We are starting down the path where we need to make decisions about what bills we are going to pay. That is TERRIFYING.

The sad part is that there really isn’t anything to cut. Our rent is pretty high because we live in Los Angeles. Moving to the (cheaper) Valley would require a MUCH greater expenditure on gas and air conditioning would be a must. If you have never been to the Valley, trust me when I say that it is HOT. Hard to breathe hot. So, while there are certain benefits to moving, the downsides neutralize them.

I think about this issue all the time. I think about how I’m going to make the money go farther and how I’m going to deal with possibly not paying something this month. I have a strong feeling that if Bear does not find something soon, my credit is going to be totally shot. Luckily, all the debt is in my name and Bear’s credit score is pretty darn good. It leaves us some options, should we need to have good credit for anything in the future. But the really sad part is that I had spent a lot of time working hard to get my credit in order from the last time we dealt with unemployment (my own, back in 2005). This is a serious hit to my self-esteem and to my pride.

I feel like I am supposed to learn a lesson from all of this. Debt is bad. Spending more than you earn is bad. Unemployment is awful. There are a lot of very obvious lessons here—but I’m more concerned about the subtle lessons that life is trying to teach me. The quiet whispers in the ear as opposed to the two-by-four to the head.

Is this something that has to do with my relationship with my husband? How we deal with money together? Is this a way to show just how strong our relationship is, as we weather these tough times and (hopefully) come out unscathed (or just slightly crispy) on the other side? I would like to learn this lesson now so I don’t have to keep going through all these terrible times just to get it right.

I have this sticker on the back of my car that says “I Save.” It’s from ING DIRECT, of course, and I’m proud to have it as the only bumper sticker on the Falcon. But I feel like a fake right now. I can’t save anything—it all has to go to pay the bills—and while I know that I am not spending money frivolously, I still feel guilty.

I’m stressed out right now. I don’t like not paying bills on time. I don’t like the fees it racks up or the phone calls that you get from bill collectors wanting to know where their money is.

I’ve been trying to get a second job on my own. I’ve applied to places I’ve worked before, to places that I never have worked but wouldn’t mind picking up some hours and I am getting ready to apply to places that I never saw myself working, EVER. And maybe this is one of those “pride goeth before the fall” kind of things—in the sense that I need to either get over not paying things on time or find a way to pay things on time, even if that means working under the Golden Arches.

I haven’t fallen back on my old standby plan of “just put it on the card,” so I consider that a win. We put the credit cards away in January and have only had to pull them out once to rent a car when we flew home in March for a family emergency.

I keep thinking that if (when?) Bear gets a job, things will be different. We’ll have all the opportunities to pay things back and get that savings balance up again but I am terrified that I’ll break down and fall into old spending patterns.

This is the bad consequence of thinking about money all the time. When you obsess over something, it controls you. It causes you to lose sleep, makes you cranky and snappy and irritable, which can hurt certain people’s feelings (Bear).

I keep thinking that once we hit X point down this road, we’ll be able to do Z and everything will be fine. But there is no sign that X is coming up around the bend. I’ve been viewing everything through rose colored glasses for so long that we’re in real trouble—and I haven’t forced the issue with anyone who could help.

I feel very negative about money right now, very negative about myself and what I’ve been doing with my life and money over the past five years that have led me to this place. And I realize that I have to find something good in all of this or I am going to get lost in that spiral of anxiety and worry that almost ate me up back in college.

I think about money all the time and, no, it isn’t healthy. But I’m learning and growing and discovering things about myself that I didn’t really understand before. I’m learning about who Alison is under pressure and determining if I like who she is or if she needs to change. It’s quite an adventure, let me tell you.

In the end, this whole experience may be a blessing. Here’s to hoping.

“A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

To end things on a brighter note, here are three things that I do to save money without giving up my life. Nothing new or revolutionary, but a few things that give me some stability in the chaos.

1. I pack my lunch every day. Sounds like a gimme kind of thing but I feel good about it. Sliding that blue lunch bag into the office fridge makes me feel like I did something right, each and every morning.

2. I use the library. I’ve been a huge library user for a while now but I’ve only recently started to utilize the CD and DVD aspect of the system. I’ve been able to get a lot of enjoyment out of the LA Public Library over the past few months and I know that Bear has found his own stress relief in the pages of some good books that he’s picked up with his card.

3. I menu plan. If you are as obsessed with every dollar as I am, then you are thinking about this every time you make dinner. I work out a plan for each week, make up my shopping list, color code it for different stores based on what has the best price on what. When I don’t know what to make that won’t break the food budget, I check out I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday. She lists her menu plan for the week, with links to recipes, and hundreds of other bloggers weigh in with their own menu plan. If you can’t find an idea in that pile, then I don’t know what else to tell you other than where to find the ramen at the store.

So, to help celebrate our love of aircraft—and our nostalgia for that bygone era when flight meant no fight — we came up with a pop quiz to test your knowledge of the friendly skies…and the not-so-friendly fees.

To find out how you did, check our Answer Key.

Did you pass with flying colors or crash and burn? Check out this handy-dandy airline fee guide we found and start chipping away at those pesky fees in the sky. And tell us: What’s the most ridiculous airline fee you’ve ever had to pay?

Domestic airline fee sources: Expedia.com and smartertravel.com

How much might it cost to have a pet lizard in the cabin?
Answer: $75. Airlines typically charge between $50 and $100 for this privilege. Although to be nice, you should probably factor in the cost of the drinks you’ll need to buy the guy next to you.

How much for an in-flight lavatory run?
Answer: No charge. There’s no “pay to pee” scheme in place—yet. But some airlines are considering it.

You want to bring your own fruit, nuts and granola bar onto the plane. What’s the “carry on” fee?
Answer: No charge. Stuff your purse, pockets or carry on with as much trail mix as you can handle. But be prepared to pay $2 for a soft drink on some planes if you get thirsty.

I want to check a couple bags on my next domestic flight. Is there a fee?
Answer: $25 for up to 2 checked bags. Aside from a couple holdouts close to our Saver hearts, airlines charge anywhere from $15 to $35 for 1 or 2 checked bags. Best to call ahead each time you fly.

I want good seating when I fly home next month. Do I have to pay extra?
Answer: $10 and up. Most airlines we checked still won’t zing you for a favorite seat on the plane, but there are plenty who will. Again, go online and do some pre-flight fee checks.

Oversize/overweight bags?
Answer: $100. It’s a wide range ($39 to $200), but it’s a big sky. Not surprisingly, all the airlines we checked charge for oversized luggage and we can’t blame them for that. We can, however, suggest traveling light.

Making a phone/in-person reservation?
Answer: $15. If you’re making a reservation, do yourself a favor: do it from your laptop or smart phone. It’s cheaper online. By phone or in person ranges from $5 to $25.

I really like a pillow/blanket on the plane. They’re still free, right?
Answer: $8. The fees are all over the place but we’d say expect to pay $8 to $15 for a comfy sleep set. Nighty night.

My under-18 daughter’s flying without me. Do I have to pay for an unaccompanied minor?
Answer: $50. The range is $35 to $100 in most cases. That’s some babysitting fee, huh?

I need to change tickets. Fee or no fee?
Answer: $100. You can pay anywhere from $75 to $250 to change tickets on domestic flights. It doesn’t matter whether you do it on the PC or the handheld. Zing.

How often do you think about money and saving? Do you ever escape it, or is it always lodged in your subconscious?

August is always the worst. Not only is it the hottest month of the year. I’m seriously sitting here hoping for a heat index of less than 105 degrees so I can go for an evening run tonight.

It’s also the worst bill month. It’s the one regular time of year I transfer money from savings into checking as the deluge of needs knocks our increasingly less adequate income mercilessly down.

August means:

To be brief: August is really a thirsty vampire fang deep in my finances. Even more so this year, with involuntary increases to the retirement plan (20 bucks a paycheck) and yet another increase to the parking decals for campus ($190).

I start dreading August in April for all the known and unknown bills waiting for me. I think about it all summer. I decline trips because I have to save for August. I check my account balances and think, will we be ready for August? I don’t even count the money in my savings for August as money. August expenses not including gas, food, or entertainment are coming close to exceeding our take home pay.

Despite all my good work, planning and saving and being able to pay all we need to pay in August, I always feel really terrible about money from our income to our savings. I find myself looking at want ads, wondering how much longer my husband’s PhD can really take. I become very superstitious, knocking on wood, tossing salt, carrying around pictures of my rabbit’s feet, hoping that nothing will go wrong with the cars and that there are no emergency surgeries, like when my husband’s appendix became very angry in 2007.

I curse that we will never be able to have children living like this, well not if we want to clothed, eating, or alive. Those silly details.

Oh August, you’re definitely the cruelest month, despite what T.S. Eliot thinks. My tomatoes are dying. The chickens think it’s much too hot to do anything other than sit in the shade under the coop. And me, the supersaver I am, just wants to drink lemonade in the shade and wait for September.

How often do you think about money and saving? Do you ever escape it, or is it always lodged in your subconscious?

“There is only one class of people that thinks about money more than the rich, and that is the poor. In fact, the poor can think of nothing else.” — Oscar Wilde

In the early years of living paycheck to paycheck, money was always on my mind. I remember crying myself to sleep over lack of money, resources, and hope of ever being able to provide adequate food, clothing and housing for my three girls.

In the 1970’s, a major gasoline shortage and recession occurred. Gasoline and grocery prices soared—$5 a pound for sugar. I was a stay-at-home Mom, pinching pennies by gardening, canning, sewing, and making do. My husband worked sporadically and supplemented his income as a weekend warrior. Before the crisis, we were just barely making it from paycheck to paycheck. Interest rates climbed into the double digits, slowing down or shutting down the major source of work in the area—building mobile homes. Unemployment in our rural community reached 35%. Limited support came from parents; they still had teenagers living at home. Eventually, the economy turned around, my husband went back to work in the mobile home industry and I found a clerical position in a textile mill. Now we were a two income family—but even with two low incomes, it was a struggle to stay ahead of the bills. There was no savings during those days, except what pennies the girls squirreled away in their piggy banks.

Divorce came, and during years as a single parent the money situation was bleak. Five years were spent working full time and going to school. There were three of us in college. As a single parent, not receiving any child support, we all qualified for grants and loans. Without financial aid, we could have never even considered going to college, but we did and we all graduated. It was still paycheck to paycheck during those college years, but there was a certain satisfaction of actually being able to pay all my bills in full and on time. That was all I was able to do.

Then at age 60, I once again found myself crying myself to sleep over money. Job loss, divorce, and bankruptcy sent me into a spiraling depression. But I’ve survived yet another money crisis. I started over—new location, new job, new me. Maybe even a better me.

Now for the first time in my life, money is not a constant consideration. Not that I have a great deal, but I have enough to pay my bills, live comfortably, and enjoy a few small luxuries. I still compare prices, weigh the long term cost, and research purchases to make sure I’m getting the best deal. But there is no guilt trip if I buy myself a latte or expensive Italian chocolates as an occasional treat. I’m not flitting my money away. I’m saving a substantial portion of my income, putting it into retirement, emergency, and travel savings accounts.

I do watch my checking balance—but only to be sure I’m not overdrawing on my monthly expense allocation. Now, when my thoughts turn to money they are more likely to be about how much interest I’ve earned on my savings or how the stocks are doing in my 401K. Finally and best of all, money is not always on my mind.

There was a time when I didn’t think about money. I didn’t have any, so why bother thinking about it? I lived simply and if I couldn’t afford something, I must not need it that bad. I didn’t have much but as long as I could put gas in the car and food on a plate, things were good.

Holy crap things have changed.

These days, I think about money and saving all the time. How can I make more money? Are we saving enough? Are we saving too much? Why am I talking to myself? This is just an example of the constant stream of thoughts that are going through my head. My wife and I have done a lot of work over the past year trying to quiet those voices. We’ve gotten a lot of stuff paid down, we’re saving more than ever before, we’re trying to be more frugal and thoughtful about how we spend our money. And I have to say that for a family with two kids and a mortgage, we’re doing pretty okay. As long as nothing upsets the balance, those voices stay pretty quiet.

Cue third baby. And cue panic. And turn up the volume on those voices.

Having a third kid has put my money brain into hyperdrive. This is almost as big of a game changer as having one kid was. Another kid means we need a bigger car. Another kid means we need a bigger house. And lest we forget clothes, food, daycare…all of this stuff that’s dependent on money.

So yeah. Money and savings is a little top of mind. I’m sure we’ll figure it all out and things will get back to normal, but right now I’m a little preoccupied.

Before Babyacolypse 3: The Re-kiddening, we had set ourselves up for success. And we really didn’t have to think about it that much. And I think that’s how money and savings should work. Educate yourself, know what you need and how much you need. Learn about savings, investing, and plan for your future. And if you set yourself up correctly, you DON’T have to think about it that much. And I think that’s the best position to be in.

I’m sure we’ll get there again, and we’re equal parts excited and anxious about this little bundle of debt. But I think it’s going to be a while before those voices quiet down again.

I’m no better off than when I last wrote about the relationship between money and happiness, so I don’t have any personal insight into whether greater wealth brings greater wellbeing. But as the debate goes on, I can share this: in a paper just published in the journal Psychological Science, a team of academics has found that earning more than someone else makes us happier; simply earning more, on the other hand, does not.

In an analysis of 12,000 Britons, the researchers found that an individual’s income rank within a comparison group - co-workers of similar age and qualifications, say, or friends from college days - was far better at predicting that person’s satisfaction with life than the absolute amount they earned. How much you take home after that raise matters much less for your wellbeing, in other words, than if that raise now makes you better off than Ted in accounting.

Psychologists have long disagreed about the effect of money on our happiness. What’s known as the reference-income hypothesis, for instance - how much we earn versus the norm among peers predicts our happiness levels - defies the simpler, alternative theory that the richer you are, the happier you feel (an idea known as the absolute-income hypothesis). Emphasizing the role of income rank, as other studies have done, advances the debate that bit further. For politicians grappling with the harshest economic climate in years, though, this latest paper makes uncomfortable reading. What voters want is not just economic growth, it seems. We want growth that makes us all richer than our friends.