Money & Marriage, Do It Right

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Money is the #1

Reason couples disagree in a marriage. In most relationships there is the numbers nerd and the spender. One loves to budget and keep track of all the purchases and set goals. The other lives life a bit more passively.

Which one are you? There are no wrong answers.

I am the numbers nerd in our household and my husband is the more financially passive type. Collectively we work well, I handle the budget and the numbers and he makes sure I am not over spending on groceries and he works hard for his income.

So why do couples disagree about money?

Honestly, there are a lot of reasons. Essentially the most noted disagreements are over spending amounts or not enough money. Which really go hand in hand.

How do you avoid the dreaded money argument?

You communicate. Simple, easy conversations once a week or once a month can help deter money disagreements.

As a couple you need to be on the same page financially with what you are currently making, spending and where you want to be in five years.

If one of you thinks the other should be working harder and making more the wheels will be spinning in the wrong direction. You are a team. One against the world and one against your debt.

One of the best things my husband and I did was take Financial Peace University. We learned to budget, make a plan with our money and to communicate more freely about where we want to be financially.

What are some important questions you should ask your spouse when it comes to money and purchases?

Do we really need it?
Will it fit into our budget?
Is this a long term or short term item, project or need?
What makes us happy?
Where do we want to be in five years, ten years?
How do we decrease our spending?
Is this benefiting us?
How do we increase our income?
What are we willing to give up?
Does being a two income or one income household work?

These are all questions that can be asked or reworded to prompt money conversations with your partner.

Currently in our household we are saving up to purchase our first home. So the question that pops up a lot is will this fit into our budget? Honestly, the question gives you some pretty good boundaries to work with so that all parties are on the same path.

The goal is for everyone to be happy, stress less, and not to be broke.

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Today I see so many…

Couples where both parties are working themselves to exhaustion just to afford all the items on their want list and never really seeing each other. Or you have a single income home where things are so stretched that financially it just isn’t working, but they are trying.

In both these cases coming back to the table and having open communication is important. Asking yourself what is working and what’s not? How can you fix it or change it to work with your ideals.

For example, I have a tendency to over work, over schedule and fill every waking hour with something “productive”. I am a homeschooling, full time corporate working, blogging Mom who doesn’t sit still well. Can you relate?

So as you can probably guess this exhausts me every once in a while so my husband had a conversation with me and we reworked our financial and budgeting goals to allow me to do less of a few things and still make everything work.

Budgeting and a happy marriage.

We all work hard. Whether you are a stay at home parent or a working spouse. It is important to spend some time together. Plan a cheap date-night out or wake up early and have coffee together.

Connect with each other.

If you need some help coming together with your finances my best suggestion is Financial Peace University. Learn more about your goals, give every dollar a job and grow your wealth.

Have an amazing day everyone,

Cynthia
Saving & Simplicity