Talk With Your Spouse About Your Money Beliefs
Communication is key. We need to talk to our spouses about what’s behind our financial decisions. Maybe the loss of Will’s dad at a young age has made him determined not to put every spare penny aside for a far-off day that may never come. Erin might remember her dad and mom working long hours at extra jobs to make ends meet—giving her the resolve to value family time over things.
A woman we interviewed for Thriving in Love and Money felt, like Erin, that her husband was giving her gifts that were too extravagant. When she looked more deeply into her own behavior and expectations, she realized that her childhood experience of poverty was carrying over into her present-day relationship. She said, “The day he tried to take me to the Apple store for the iPad and I was so snitty about it, I realized: I have to get over myself. I have to just say ‘thank you’ when he wants to do something nice for me.”
We all have knee-jerk reactions that reflect our money beliefs, and Erin’s “Thank you, but…” response to Will’s gifts is one example.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In