Marriage and Money: The Rule that Opened up Communication


We have some pretty strict rules around here regarding finances.  We aren’t always the best at budgeting and staying on the budget, but we always obey our rules.  I wrote about one of our rules and what it can do for a marriage over at Money Saving Mom today.

Here is an excerpt:

We have all heard the statistics reporting that approximately 50% of all marriages end in divorce and that the most common factor/reason stated for ending a marriage is finances.  And indeed, the way a couple deals with money is oftentimes a very good indication of the way they deal with one another in a myriad of ways.  The communication that exists (or doesn’t exist) regarding money lends itself to general conversations about goals, dreams, needs, and wants important to the health and viability of marriage.  So, it goes without saying that having open and honest dealings with finances in your marriage is extremely important.

The best bit of advice I would give to a newly married/engaged couple is to commit to a spending cap on what you are willing to spend without asking one another. <Click here to read more>

If you are stopping by after reading my post at Money Saving Mom, I want to say thank you for clicking over!  I hope you will find something to encourage you here!  I write about four categories of homemaking: Child Rearing, Nesting, Money, and Devotion. Please take a look around, stay a while, and join the conversation!  I would love to hear from you!


This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Gracielle

    That’s a really great tip! Pretty straighforward and easy for couples to follow, especially new couples. My hubs and I had a joint bank account and separate personal bank accts which pretty much established our spending caps. That way, we didn’t have to ask for “permission” when we wanted to buy something.

    1. ussleah

      We have all our money together (always have), but we are on an envelope system with our own “pocket money.” We don’t ask each other about the pocket money expenses but we still talk about them. We talk about all our purchases over $20, even in the cash envelope system.

  2. Mai Bateson

    Great tip! We always come mutual to every financial decision. Currently, we have separate bank accounts but since our family is getting bigger, I still need to talk to my hubby about the join account (that’s for the whole family!) 🙂

    Visiting you from the Happy Wives Club Link Up.

    1. ussleah

      I definitely recommend the joint account. Congratulations on your growing family!

  3. Great piece of advice! My husband and I both have “allowance” accounts. All our income goes in a joint account and from that account we each get a set amount of money at the beginning of each month that we put in our own separate checking accounts. This acts as our “cap” and makes it so easy to keep track. If I’m getting close to the end of the month and am low on funds, I have two choices: 1) Seriously curtail my spending before the month ends (what I usually do); or 2) Have a conversation with my husband about how much more I need and why. He does the same thing if he’s running low on funds.

    I know this doesn’t work for everyone but we’ve done this for years (ever since we did Total Money Makeover) and it’s been the best (and easiest) way for us to manage our spending.

    1. ussleah

      Isn’t the Total Money Makeover wonderful? We have a joint account and I get cash at the beginning of the month (the envelope system). So when we get to the bottom of the envelope, that’s it! But opening communication is the most important part of dealing with your spouse about money. There can be so many temptations to keep secrets and that is dangerous.

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