Fighting about money cannot help you as a couple; rather look for a way or ways of resolving your financial discrepancies.
When you get married, the way you handle your finances will change. Hopefully you discussed your finances with your spouse before you got married, and you now have the same set of goals that you are working towards.
However, there are times when the two of you might not be in agreement when it comes to your finances. When you are not financially compatible, you will have to work harder to find a compromise on each subject, but you can still make it work. The amount might be large or small, but you need to work to resolve these differences quickly, Miriam Caldwell, personal finance specialists said.
She said if you are having problems with sticking to a budget or if your spouse does not see the need to budget, you need to sit down and figure out what is not working and why. Does your spouse feels like you set up the budget or that the categories are not reasonable?
Did you dictate the budget and not make a team process? Sit down and have a discussion with your spouse where you simply listen to his concerns about the budget. Ask him what he thinks would be reasonable for each categories. Additionally be sure to include money that you each can spend on what you want each month that is for you to spend however you see fit. You should agree on how to deal with your parents when they ask for money.
If you are having a difficult time deciding or agreeing on a larger purchase, this can be more difficult. It may be that one of you feels that the item is necessary now, or wants to invest in a more expensive option to save money in the long run.
Until you both agree on the purchase, it should not be made. However if you are objecting ask yourself why you are objecting. Can you pay for the purchase in cash? Is it stopping you from reaching a goal? Do you just want to spend less money overall? Spend time explaining and listening to each other until you are able to resolve your differences, she said.
According to her, if one spouse simply does not see the need to worry about the money this can be a very frustrating and difficult situation. As the spouse who worries more you may need to start by asking specific questions about the future, purchasing a house and retirement.
Often if you can set goals together then it is easier to get the other spouse on board. Some people are not planners, but once they realise that the budget will help them reach their goals they are more willing to work on a budget. You can work to get your reluctant spouse on board by addressing the problem and coming up with a solution.
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