Business Despair: How To Manage Money In Successful Relationships

The key to happiness as it relates to relationships and money is an often talked about topic in some sectors while other partners consider it off the table.

Why such a large gap in philosophy regarding money and how it should be managed in relationships?

More often than not, money is a sore spot for you and your significant other for a number of reasons, mainly due to the fact that you have different philosophies on it or one person makes more than the other, thus having one party feeling guilty or emasculated about the discussion.

Whatever the case might be as to why you dodge the topic of saving money and managing it, the most successful couples and the ones who last know how to not only broach the subject of money but also work well with one another as a result, treating their relationships as two separate entities: one filled with love, romance, self respect and other traits and the other as a bottom line business affair that makes sure all dollars are accounted for and spent and saved together.

Now, this isn’t to suggest that you should treat your spouse or partner as an employee per say, but you can’t shy away from money talks, particularly if you’re dating someone seriously or plan on marrying them. You have to be on the same page or have the same philosophy (or someone has to compromise) otherwise the moment you hit some choppy cash waters; you’ll be at each other like a mixed martial arts match in the Octagon.

The key is unity and staying consistent and in agreement of what money decisions are made. If you’re trying to save, save together. You can’t have one person who enjoys the budgeting process take the reigns and run with it, simply because the other person is left out due to their dislike of managing money is only going to create resentment within the union. You have to budget together and make sure, for example, the more spend-happy person in the relationship sees why you can’t have a $200 per week shopping budget.

You’d be wise to make time periodically to sit down and go over the numbers, or if you seek professional assistance or guidance, do so as a united front, not one person showing up and the other giving a healthy dose of apathy instead.

Most people aren’t going to choose their partner based on their love or hate of money and all things that go with it: spending, saving, budgeting, etc. But if you and your mate can find common ground, you’ll continually bump heads and see little if any progress.