The wedding ceremony and the honeymoon paparazzi are all over, and the journey of marriage, which is the reality, has begun. Now that you are living together as one, both of you would need to make some adjustments in your way of living. Consider the present world we are in, where we are facing global economic recessions, it is no surprising if you have financial challenges in your marriage, even if you are just newly wedded. This is basically a phenomenon that cannot be avoided.
Money is probably the most common cause of problems in marriages these days, and has been proven to be the major reason for 90% of divorce cases globally. No doubt, every marriage encounters money problems at a point in time and it would be wrong to say that lack of money can never bring a marriage to a close. It is not an issue of the amount you or your spouse earns that brings about these difficulties, but rather, the spending habits. That being said, here are a few causes of financial problems in marriage.
Causes of financial problems in marriage
- Unemployment – When either of the couple is gainfully employed while the other is not
- Communication gap- When there is no discussion on your spending habits as well as other money related issues.
- Jealousy- probably your spouse is earning more than you, and you are jealous of your spouse attaining greater heights by investing more in business. This, in particular, is common with men.
- No planned monthly financial plan and thus, spending irrationally without other person’s approval.
All these and many others will surely hurt any marriage if the couple fails to trash them out.
Now that you have realized some of these causes, the next step is to find a lasting solution to the money-related disagreement in your marriage.
5 Ways To Avoid Financial Issues In Your Marriage
- Be sincere with each other:
Express your concerns over money and handle them in a polite manner. This way, you will be able to find a common ground to deal with your differing financial habits and attitudes.
- Create time to consider your financial expectations and also find common goals:
One of the best money and marriage tips is to discover common goals as far as money is concerned. Come up with solutions about your family’s attitude towards spending and also set realistic expectations and goals that are attainable. If you desire something, continue to save until you can actually get them. You also need to understand how to prioritize your goals, for instance, what to spend on bills, children, home, entertainment, savings etc. Create and live within a budget.
- Run Your Home Like A Business
Every winning business has a financial plan, and so does every successful home. Probably the worst money and marriage mistakes both of you can make is to forget to develop a budget for yourselves. Whether you earn a little income or make lots of money, a budget can enable you to see where the money is going, how it is working for you, and also be able to identify challenging areas and come up with effective solutions to fixing those problems.
- Differentiate between want and needs:
Never spend what you do not have. Learn to differentiate between what you want and what you actually need. Credit cards and unnecessary loans will only sink you more.
- Consult an expert
If your problems are so severe that you feel you are unable to get off them on your own, then may need to seek the help of a professional consultant or financial planner with expertise in helping people with their financial difficulties. They have seen it all, know what works and what does not, and can help you get to the root of your money and marriage challenges by proffering real life solutions to any challenges you might be facing. This does not mean that you are sharing your marriage issues with an outsider, but it is an opportunity for you both to discuss your challenges with experts and together work to achieve a common solution.
Conclusion
Money is just a tool and should not be the reason for divorce. Therefore, try as much as possible not to dispute over it. Spending more time to dispute over money when you are suppose to be nurturing your home will certainly bring financial stress in your marriage. And ultimately, could lead to divorce.
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