It is a well known fact that money is a common cause of arguments for couples. Sometimes the best way to avoid money arguments with your significant other is to talk about finances as freely as you talk about everything else. Even if money is tight and you are having trouble making ends meet, talking openly about your finances just might prevent a major blow-up later on.
If a couple rarely discusses finances, each may think that the other knows what is going on with the family finances. Each person may also think that the other person knows what the family’s financial priorities are at that time and whether there are any major financial events coming up in the near future. If something comes to light that proves that this is not the case, each person feels like they have been done wrong.
The person who made what the other person considers to be a mistake or a bad decision regarding money may feel like they had no way of knowing that what they did would upset the other person. The person who feels as though the other person did something that they feel was not right may feel like their trust was violated, or that the other person should have known not to do what they did. Either of these situations could possibly have been avoided by regularly checking in with each other about what the family financial priorities are, how each person is doing financially, and whether there are any major expenses that one person has realized are coming up soon.
More frequent, less complicated and less intense discussions about money are easier to handle than conversations that take place when there is a problem. Also, talking about money openly builds an atmosphere of trust in the relationship. Family finances do not have to be a battleground, even if your family is short on money. Working together to build an understanding of where you are at financially and what the priorities are can go a long way towards preventing arguments over money.
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