The Saver-Spender Disconnect in Marriage – and How to Handle It

There’s no one “right way”

Here’s the reality we all need to reckon with if we are going to get on the same page about money: Both financially and biblically, there is no one right way to handle money. For every Bible verse the saver/planner quotes about not building a tower before reckoning with the cost, there is a verse the spender/flexor can quote about trusting God and not worrying about tomorrow. Both are true. Both are important.

Accounting for the “spender” point of view does not mean handling money irresponsibly. We are called to be good stewards of what God has given us. But there are many ways of being a good steward – including genuine Kingdom-honoring enjoyment of the good gifts that God has given us today, not just years in the future.

A couple is never going to be able to get on the same page around money until they find a way to honor both ways of viewing money.