Let’s face it, whenever you hear of couples breaking up or ending in divorce, it is usually one of three things: cheating, growing apart, or money issues. Whether you have too little or too much, it can be overwhelming to handle your own finances, let alone the entire household, taking care of monthly expenses, spending, while saving for retirement. As a family, you are a team, and what better way to handle household finances is to work together as a team.
Share the Burden
That’s exactly what paying bills, and well, being a responsible adult is, a burden. It is not fair if one person in the relationship is playing by the rules and keeping a close eye on spending, while the other is not paying attention to account balances and going on shopping sprees. Sit down with each other, go over the books, if you will, and make sure you are each on the same page on what all of the costs are to maintain the household in a given month.
Schedule Ongoing Talks
Payments and expenses can change over time, so it is good to keep ongoing conversations strong when it comes to where you stand with checking and savings account balances. If an adjustment needs to be made, make sure you both are on the same page. Whether there is a conversation daily for those who are really in tuned with finances, or weekly, there should at least be regular conversations monthly to make sure there are no surprises.
Commit to a Budget
Most Americans actually fail when it comes to budgeting, in fact so much that studies have shown that two-thirds of households actually do not follow a budget. So, what makes the other third of the population actually follow through? Stick to the budget and making the needed adjustments. Every dollar coming in and going out should be accounted for, so that you can continue to reduce unnecessary expenses to have additional funds left over at the end of the month, instead of overspending.
Have Clear Financial Goals
To have a successful financial household, it would be one where all are on the same page not only in terms of current spending, but what the goals are for the future. Are you looking to budget to save up for a new car, to get out of debt, to maximize retirement funds? One cannot be living one way opposite the other in order to stay successful.
Reward for Success
Saving money is not exactly the most fun thing to do in life. It means sacrificing wasting money on fun things such as shopping, traveling, and constantly going out to eat, but it does not mean that it is the end of happiness though, you will just have to look forward to doing something more. Instead of going out to eat three times a week, try just on Saturday nights. See how much savings actually add up over an entire month, and if you continue to save additional money, budget to take a trip to celebrate your success. After all, life experiences can almost be as important as saving money.
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