Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a popular time for couples in
love to get married or engaged. But before your head gives in to the whims of
your heart, find out if your attitudes about money are compatible. Finances are
one of the major causes of friction in a relationship.
Some people are savers, some are spenders. Savers plan for
the future and weigh the value and need for each purchase, trying to never pay
more than necessary for anything. Spenders want instant gratification, without
a lot of regard for how much something costs or how well it fits into the budget.
(Budget? What's that?)
If your partnership consists of a spender and a saver, your
habits may grate each other's nerves, perhaps to the point where the
relationship doesn't survive. You will have to bite your tongue to refrain from
making snide remarks and assigning derogatory nicknames. To the spender, the
saver is stingy, penny-pinching, tight-fisted, nit-picky. To the saver, the
spender is wasteful, frivolous, gluttonous, irresponsible. But no amount of
nagging and needling will change a person who is not ready to change and has
not asked for your help. You'll have to cope with the attitude differences if
the relationship is to work.
If one spouse is a spender and the other a saver, each needs
the respect and support of the other, and the freedom to operate without being
judged, to feel in control. To ensure the bills get paid and agreed-upon
financial goals are met, why not designate a separate, joint account for these
functions, which each person agrees not to raid? Each person should also have
his or her own funds—a bank account, credit card, prepaid debit card, whatever
works best for your situation—to spend from and direct without oversight from
the other.
Disagreement over money is one of the leading reasons for
divorce. Not having enough of it is certainly stressful, but even if there's
plenty, problems can arise if the couple can't agree on how that money should
be managed.
Divorce is expensive, not to mention emotionally
devastating. Don't ignore the red flags.
Are you a spender or a saver? And what about your significant
other? I would love to hear your comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment