Understanding Money Management Behavior through the Theory of Planned Behavior

This paper presents the results of a survey carried out by the authors in two different countries that share a common language and culture, Romania and Republic of Moldova. The aim of the study is to analyze three dimensions of the Money Management Behavior (saving, overspending and financial awareness) and to integrate them into a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. The structural equation modelling analysis reveals that saving is influenced negatively by Success and Centrality (two dimensions of the materialism scale), External locus of control and Pain of paying. Overspending is influenced negatively by Centrality, Happiness and Pain of paying, and positively by Social norms and Internal locus of control. Success, Social norms and Internal locus of control influence positively the financial awareness of individuals, whereas Pain of paying influences it negatively. The financial and socio-psychological behavioral differences in these two countries are compared and discussed.