Saving Up for the Future – Dos and Don’ts to Keep a Healthy and Financially Stable Marriage

Note: This is a guest post from Kelly Austin.

Money and Marriage

Most couples headed down the unfortunate road to divorce will often cite money as the cause for their “irreconcilable differences”.

As we take the steps toward marriage, we base our relationship on common interests and goals. Many of us take the area of finances for granted, hoping they will “just work out.”

Our finances, like our marriage, will take work to be an area of success. Hopefully, as you entered into wedded bliss, you did so with a partner who shares the same view of money and spending as you do.

However, if you didn’t, there is no reason to jump ship. It is possible to get on the same page and develop a closer relationship with your spouse in the process.

“What’s the Matter?”

One of the issues that plague “good” marriages is a difference in spending and saving habits.

While these differences can create ongoing conflict, the bigger issue is communication about spending and saving. As you go down the road to creating a stronger marriage and a healthy financial future, both partners must be willing to openly communicate financial goals and ideals.  



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5 Reasons You Need a Debt-Free Marriage

When I shared our family’s story of how we paid off $54,500 in debt, the response was overwhelmingly positive, and I heard from a lot of people who were in the process of shedding their debt (or at least wanted to get started).

However, the reasons that I heard for becoming debt-free were mostly focused on the usual, more material motivations.

It seems that most people dream of paying off their debts to reclaim more freedom in their financial life.

The idea of getting creditors off their back and having more of their income to save or buy things to improve their quality of life is very appealing.  Honestly, that was a big part of why my wife and I decided we wanted to become debt free, and we achieved that goal (other than our home mortgage) three years ago.

I think the purely financial benefits are pretty clear and widely written about.

Instead, I want to share with you some of the awesome marriage benefits that a debt-free lifestyle provides.  While they weren’t our original motivation, our experiences in these areas have really grown our passion for getting (and staying) debt free.  



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How Much Does It Cost to Attend a Wedding?

A member of the Engaged Marriage community recently shared the infographic below, and I found it pretty fascinating…but not surprising. It shows graphically just how much it costs to attend or be part of a wedding as a guest.

I know I’ve been part of probably a dozen weddings over the last 10 years as either a groomsman, an usher or a groom. 

It is definitely an expensive honor!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments.  Do you think these average costs are accurate and, more importantly,  do you think it’s worth it?

Via: EngagementExperts.com
For Tips & Advice on your engagement, rings, and so much more…

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How to Save $317 On Your Food Bill This Month

Last October, Bethany and I made one seemingly simple change that has now saved us an average of $317 on our food bill each month.

I want to share with you exactly what we did and how you can do it, too.  In fact, at the end of this post, I’ll show you how you can actually save a bit more just for being a member of our Engaged Marriage community.

So, What Was the BIG Change?

We signed up for E-Mealz.

E-Mealz is an online meal planning service that was started by a couple of busy Moms who were looking for a better way to manage their families’ time, health and financial well-being.

It has become a major help to thousands of busy families, and it has won the endorsement of financial guru Dave Ramsey.

In our case, we were eating carryout restaurant food too often, plus we were wasting groceries on a regular basis.

We shopped for what we thought we needed during each grocery store trip, but without a plan we inevitably found ourselves opting for the “convenience” of takeout/delivery and (at the same time) letting groceries expire before we actually used them all up.  



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How to Keep Finances From Becoming a Source of Tension in Your Marriage

Note: This is a guest post from Jane Sanders from Debt Management.

Many marriages have found they suffer from many negative elements, and a lot of these elements often come back to money problems. Money problems can be caused by a wide range of issues from not making enough to not managing it right.

However, money problems within marriages can be resolved and avoided by keeping a positive attitude, following some simple steps, and sometimes through the use of professional help.

Keep a Good Attitude

It is always important to be proactive about any methods and approaches that are implemented to resolve money and marriage differences or problems. Marriages that do not stay proactive tend to lose the money and marriage battle before it even begins.

Be Honest & Open and Set up a Budget

One of the most important things to do in the beginning of solving financial marriage problems is to sit down and create an honest and open communication airway between both parties. After it has been established that honesty and openness are being followed, it is crucial to create a budget. Most importantly, it is pertinent that a budget is created that both parties agree to, followed by actually sticking to the budget.  



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