Tag Archives: marriage and money

Marriage and Money: Resenting Your Spouse

This morning, I was busy monitoring an overly full stock pot that represents at least another two family meals that will will get out of a chicken that we bought on sale. I was boiling the picked clean bones to make some chicken stock that will then be turned into chicken noodle soup. The soup, along with a small salad and some bread will make a very frugal meal for us. As I was doing this, my eldest son came in to tell me exactly how much the father of one of his school mates makes each week. Knowing the … Continue reading →

Do You Tell Your Husband How Much You Spend on Gifts?

It is the season for shopping. Everywhere that you look people are buying items and standing in checkout lines. Sale signs and coupons cover the newspapers. Almost every store on every corner can be seen full of shoppers. Customers dash in and out making their purchases. Many of the shoppers in the world are women. Of course most shopping this time of the year is for someone other than yourself. However, women have a tendency not to be able to pass up a good deal. With this, I wonder how much do the husbands of these women truly know about … Continue reading →

How Major of a Purchase Can You Make without Consulting Your Spouse?

Marriage is a unity. By the term unity it is meant that two join as one. All of the history of each individual and all of the future of the two are combined. As most courts see it, things are split equally. Because of this unity, most couples feel that communication and joint decisions should be made when important issues arise. These issues may be family related, job related, or money related. When it comes to money topics, couples share different views on how the money in the relationship is divided. Some couples have a completely shared account. Others prefer … Continue reading →

Do You and Your Spouse Deal with Finances Together?

In some marriages, one spouse holds the “purse strings” (or the checkbook and passbook) while the other knows very little about the financial situation or has very little control over it. For some couples, this works fine because one spouse may prefer not to have the responsibility while the gladly takes it on. For other couples money can become an issue of control in their marriage. It seems like there should be a happy medium. Even if one person deals with the bills, balances the checkbook, applies a certain percentage of the household income to savings, and generally takes care … Continue reading →

Do Your Parents Influence Your Spending Habits?

Were your parents big spenders? Or were they savers? Did your parents ever talk about money to you? Do they talk about money to you now? What about your in-laws’ spending habits? Are they different from the ones you grew up with? Does your spouse have the same money traits as his parents? Do you? Often money is a taboo subject in a parent child relationship. Many parents are not comfortable discussing the finances with their children. This is truer in a family where there is tension surrounding the money issues. If spouses do not openly communicate with each other, … Continue reading →

Marriage Tips: Problems with Money?

Finances and financial disputes with your spouse are problematic at best. No one likes arguing about money and let’s be honest, while money does not make the world go round – it does make it easier. So here are a few tips for you and your spouse to get better control of your finances and to help the two of you feel better without getting into a huge fight. Make a List and Check it Twice – Is something about the finances annoying? Are you putting out too much money to cover expenses you can’t keep track of? Take some … Continue reading →

Marriage Choking Points: Dollar Signs

There are more important things in life than money. The trouble is, they all cost money! – Milton Berle When we fight over money, a large number of those disagreements usually occurs over what are referred to as a choke point. The choke point in a financial argument is when one partner or the other (or both) are spending money in amounts that the other thinks is unreasonable without consultation. For example, a husband comes home from work and shows off his new cell phone. It has an embedded camera and blue tooth capability. He would have picked up the … Continue reading →

4 Tips for Overcoming Financial Stress in Marriage

Arguments over money and how money is managed may seem inevitable in any relationship. After all, it’s hard enough to make the right financial choices without taking into account someone else’s feelings and ideas. It can be even more difficult when you are both coming from different financial angles and pasts. So if your styles of dealing with money are different, here are 4 tips for overcoming financial stress in marriage. Be frank in discussing how you and your families handled money and how it went when you were growing up. It’s important for both of you to understand where … Continue reading →