Couples that know all about each other’s finances tend to have a better marriage than those who do not talk about their finances. There are a few things that married couples should talk about frequently and they should certainly be on the same page before they get married. Those things that couples should discuss before they get married are: religion, sex, and money. If the couple is in agreement on those three things, then they will most likely have a successful and fruitful marriage.
Sit Down and Talk Honestly
When a married couple is not perfectly honest with each other, then their marriage will have problems. In order to make a marriage more successful, many people suggest having a sit down meeting to discuss finances and to do it once every other week. As most people are paid every other week, payday is a perfect time to have a discussion about what you will both do with those finances during the two weeks.
Have an Agenda for Each Meeting
That bi-weekly meeting can be as long or as short as you and your partner need to have. The meeting may simply be a review of the previous weeks or it might be planning for the next two weeks. Couples that have these meetings tend to discuss grocery shopping, medical expenses, entertainment expenses and other simple things.
Sharing Intimacy with Your Checkbooks
Many couples find that they enjoy sitting down and talking to each other with a purpose once every other week. These bi-weekly meetings are moments when couples get to share intimacy, even though these meetings are not sexual in nature. Because they are sharing something that no other people can share with them, these meetings are intimate times together. Talking about something personal and intimate like money, sex, and religion will certainly bring couples closer together because of the fact that these couples are sharing their most private feelings and thoughts about private ideas.
Discuss Money So You Can Relax Together
Understanding each other’s beliefs about money and how they share it with each other certainly do bring couples closer together. They partners can relax around each other when they know they are on the same page when it comes to finances. They do not have to keep secrets, so they know they can trust each other in any situation.
Involve Your Children When They Are Old Enough
When couples talk about their finances with each other, they can begin to involve their children when the time is right. It is a good idea to inform children about the best ways to talk about money. You and your partner can set a good example by talking about money in healthy ways with your children. You do not need to invite them to every single bi-weekly meetings, but maybe just one a month or one every other month. They do not necessarily need to know all of the details, but seeing their parents talk about money will help them learn that that is what healthy married couples do.
Find Discussion Points Online or In Books
If you are going to begin to have bi-weekly meetings about finances, you can find discussion points online. There are many websites that have topics of discussion that will get your talks flowing more freely. If you are uncomfortable talking about money and you do not know where to start, you can also find books that will help you begin an appropriate discussion with your spouse. It is important that you do not have your discussions in ways that end up attacking each other, but in ways that are supportive and positive. If you are accusatory or if you are angry about meetings, then your spouse will most likely shy away from discussions and they will not be very successful.
Have a Good Attitude and Keep Positivity
It is important to have a good attitude, even if things are not going your way. It is important to praise your spouse for the things he or she is doing well, especially if he or she is trying to make changes to spending and saving habits. If you say too many negative things, then your spouse will avoid talking about money because no one wants to hear constant negativity. If you are having problems staying positive, then you should write down the things you want to say positively so you will stay on task and not be insulting or negative.
Bring Your Marriage Closer
When you want to begin bi-weekly financial meetings with your spouse, you and your spouse will grow closer together. Talking about money is difficult for many people to do, so the fact that you are both caring enough to share feelings and ideas with each other will make your marriage stronger and longer lasting.
