Finances and financial disputes with your spouse are problematic at best. No one likes arguing about money and let’s be honest, while money does not make the world go round – it does make it easier. So here are a few tips for you and your spouse to get better control of your finances and to help the two of you feel better without getting into a huge fight.
- Make a List and Check it Twice – Is something about the finances annoying? Are you putting out too much money to cover expenses you can’t keep track of? Take some time to make a list of all the things about your finances that are bugging you
- Set a Worry Appointment – I read this in a magazine, you set aside a time for that week where you will have an hour to actively sit and worry – this helps you put your concerns off for a short amount of time and to take a mental break
- Eliminate surprises from your finances – We all know that the summer time electric bill is going to be high and we know when birthdays and Christmas fall – do your best to trim back on those types of surprises by planning for them
- Schedule Bill Pay based on your paychecks – this allows you to set your budget accordingly and you can also set aside money in each paycheck for other frivolous expenses
- Cut back on regular expenses – Do price comparison shopping, replace all the light bulbs in the house with lower wattage – you’d be amazed by how much money you can save on that
- Extract Cash to Keep on hand for the little things – When you give yourself a $20 or $40 petty cash fund, you will know for certain what you are spending whereas you can nickel and dime yourself down on your credit card
- Put $10 to $20 per paycheck in your savings account – this will give you a small emergency fund for when you need it
What other solutions can you think of to help minimize problems with money in your marriage?
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