Q: How do you balance the love and financial aspect in a relationship? My husband and I know we need to support each other, and we are both working toward the same thing, but there is financial stress and it is affecting the relationship. We are both hardworking individuals, and we love each other, but the financial stress is causing problems. How do we balance love and finance?
A: Balancing love and money can lead to stress and this in turn can lead to strife in the relationship. The key here is to not only have a clear financial end goal, which it sounds like you both have, but to sit down and decide what is the best route to reach that goal. The journey that you two take to reach your goals is just as important as the goal itself. You are individuals and your perspectives and values are uniquely different. The first step is to understand your personal relationship with money and when that relationship was originally created. Think back to the first experience you realized that money was worth something. Ask your husband to do the same. How did that experience shape your current relationship with money? If you understand how you and your husband approach money, you can take the steps to create a path toward your shared financial goal that plays on both of your strengths. The second step is to create short term goals that can be accomplished each week, and to acknowledge their completion. The third step is to check in with each other and make sure that you are on the same page. This reconnection will not only move you toward your financial goal, but intern will solidify your loving relationship.
