Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The millions spent on Valentine’s Day may fuel the passions of new love, but if you want “happily ever after”, you need to consider a budget. Begin by understanding each other’s goals and needs. One of you likely desires security and high attention to detail while the other desires freedom and prefers not to have to think about finances at all. This is not unusual! It can become a strength of the marriage when responsibilities are divided appropriately.

So honor your differences. Give each other the freedom to operate in their area of giftedness. Stubborn pride must be set aside with so much at stake. Next, share any money secrets. Couples should review their credit reports and reveal any problems they’ve had managing their finances. Transparency will lead to greater trust. Don’t argue, complain, or attack if issues are uncovered. This requires humility, patience, and respect. Stop, get on your knees, and ask God to unite your hearts in solving the problem together. Forgive one another and resolve to work on the issue. Then, set a time to talk each month. Tackling tough financial conversations should take place regularly. Set dates and times so that issues won’t be ignored until a crisis. Making it part of your routine helps to create a forum for decision-making that doesn’t put one of you on the spot. Money should not become the wedge that pries a couple apart. Money is a tool used to build up a family. When used wisely, it becomes an investment in happily ever after.

And if credit card debt is a source of pain in your marriage, Christian Credit Counselors can help you escape the pain and embarrassment of bankruptcy. For more information call the Crown Helpline: 800-722-1976 or visit online at crown.org/ccc.