Money Fights & Marriage
The number one reason marriages fail is money. It’s the one topic most couples don’t want to talk about, and yet the main reason marriages end.
What is it about finances that cause couples to divorce?
Not Agreeing How to Split Money
If both spouses work, there are often arguments about what’s mine, yours, and ours. If you can’t agree, it can lead to serious disagreements and eventual divorce.
Before you get married, talk about money, how you’ll handle it and who will make the decisions. If you don’t do this ahead of time, you could both go into the marriage set in your ways and then argue when things don’t go your way.
There’s no right or wrong way to split money including paying the bills or spending money. The only right way is the way you both agree is right.
Excessive Debt
Debt is stressful and overwhelming. If one partner comes to the marriage with a lot of debt, it can stress the marriage out from the start. Even if you accumulate debt throughout your marriage either together or one person is mostly responsible, it can put a serious burden on your marriage.
As you work out who is responsible for paying the debt, it can put a rift between the two of you, especially if the debt belongs to one person and not both of you. If you don’t agree on how to allocate your funds, it can lead to serious arguments.
One Partner Takes Control
If one partner feels ‘superior’ to the other when dealing with money, it can lead to serious problems. When you get married, it should be an equal union where both parties have equal decision-making power, but sometimes one spouse takes over and the other feels like he/she has to ask for ‘allowance.’
If one spouse feels ‘less than’ it could lead to arguments, dissatisfaction in the marriage, and divorce.
Different Goals
Talking about money before you get married helps you understand your soon-to-be spouse’s goals. You may be a saver and he/she a spender or vice versa. This can lead to a lot of disagreements in the marriage.
While there is no right or wrong way to handle money, when you know each other’s goals, you can meet in the middle, considering each partner’s ideas about money so both feel heard.
Talking about Money is the Key to Avoiding Money Related Divorces
Money-related divorces are common, but some can be prevented. The key is to be open and honest about your money goals, debts, and even earnings. Talk about your future ideas (do you plan to quit and stay home when you start a family?) and how you both plan to handle money when you first join hands in marriage.
There’s no way to 100% prevent divorce due to money issues, but with a few careful steps, you can reduce your chances of a marriage ending due to money issues that you could have discussed beforehand.
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