Whether you are fresh off your honeymoon or have been together for decades, financial problems have surely come up in your marriage.
In fact, numerous studies cite finances as the number one reason couples divorce. That said, it’s possible for a couple to work through concerns related to money and spending; it simply takes patience and a willingness to communicate.
The following are several financial issues you may encounter during your marriage, as well as simple hints for easing these problems. As you’ll see, the solution always come back to healthy communication.
Joint Account vs. Individual Accounts
The question as to whether to merge your finances may very well be one of the first you face as a married couple.
One system is not inherently better than the other; it all depends on your overall approach to marriage. These days, many couples are opting for a middle ground approach, with both spouses keeping some money in individual accounts and also saving a certain amount in a joint account. Later on in your relationship, it may be easier to merge everything into a joint account, but this is not a necessity right off the bat.
Note: For much more on this topic, be sure to check out Dustin’s article – Should Married Couples Have Joint or Separate Bank Accounts?
Shopping Habits
Are you an impulse shopper or a spendthrift? How about your partner?
If the two of you have completely different approaches to shopping, you may be in for a few nasty arguments. In many marriages, one partner is labeled the spender and the other is labeled the saver.
However, in most cases, this arrangement is not based on the facts. Studies suggest that men and women spend the same amount of money on average; they simply spend their money on different things.
As a couple, you should sit down together and draft a budget, recognizing the fact that one partner’s spending habits are not necessarily superior to the other’s.
If you need help setting a budget that works for both of you, check out this post for a step-by-step guide.
Handling Debt
A SmartMoney survey found debt to be the most contentious financial issue a couple will face. Arguments might arise as to the amount of debt a couple is willing to take out in order to pay for a home or a car. Worse yet, one spouse may enter the marriage with absolutely no debt while the other carries a load that seems unmanageable.
Blaming each other for debt will only lead to more problems. Regardless of whether one spouse entered the marriage with debt, you now need to think of it as a joint debt load and figure out how you’ll pay it off together.
Planning for Emergencies
Couples may argue about whether saving money for a rainy day fund is worth it. Hopefully, the stagnant economy has taught you that saving is definitely worthwhile.
How you save and how much you save may present more of a problem. Should the money go into the bank, into real estate or in stocks? These questions may best be resolved with the help of a financial planner, but you can get some tips on setting up an effective emergency fund here as well.
In the end, your relationship can survive and even thrive in the face of these common financial problems – if you and your partner are able to keep an open mind.
Discuss any issues in a civil manner and don’t be afraid to seek help from a financial counselor when necessary. Above all, talk about it!
Hot issue, Marriage and money. There are numerous couples go on separate ways because of financial opinions they are distinct with.
I like the solutions mention above and I agree as a Certified Marriage Counselor that this things are complex which needs to be considered as serious with respect to both partners. I will keep an eye on your site for more inspiring post.
I am in the security service and she is a teacher. My salary is almost thrice hers but anytime she takes her salary, she does not tell me and when I ask, she tells me she pays her debts. She use to say her salary is not as much as mine. I travel sometimes for 6months or 1 year. We have 3 kids. When I am around we use to argue on money alot because she use to ask for money which when I ask about what she will use it for, she tells me, she is using it for something. I normally get angry when she doesn’t tell me exactly what she will use the money for. Anytime I take my salary I give her what we will need for the household chores and for herself. I must admit that what I give for her for her upkeep may not be much due to my salary. However if she needs anything she asks and i try to help if I can’t get all. I never take anything from her salary and she never gives me anything from her salary. A year ago I went for loan to rent an apartment for us and this is being deducted from my salary. But before the loan, I discussed with her what will remain and because we are salaried workers we need to manage what ever the remainder will be, she agreed and assured me that wouldn’t be a problem since she will also take her salary. Now I travelled a month after I went for the loan, but since then every month at most 3 weeks into the month she tells me they don’t have money. This gets me peesed off because I expect her to leave within whatever comes as the remainder since that is the only money that comes to the house. Anytime I travelled and came back she receives me with debt. But when I’m around even though we argue alot on money we are able to manage. She does not want us to discuss finances because she says I abuse her when talking about money. She does alot of impulse buying even though they may be little things sometimes and when I talk about it she tells me they don’t cost anything. It has made me decided not to talk about finances in the marriage again but I fear it will bring us disaster. I have an ideology that whatever comes to our hands, we have to save part but she believes otherwise and that God will take care of us. But it’s not helping me since it makes me to provide for everything and sometimes solves financial problems in her extended family as well as mine. I’m under pressure, I do not like to borrow money from friends but she doesn’t care about that. Please I need help