Mixing money and marriage

First topic message reminder:

Money is not inherently good or evil. It's a tool to be used to get things that you want and need. When we talk about money, it's not just about the money, though. We are really talking about the things that money represents--security, power, control, freedom, etc. It's these "hot issues" surrounding money that makes it such a difficult thing to discuss, even with the person who is closest to us.

When you agree to marry, you also take on each other's finances and credit history. Before you say,"I do," you need to sit down to discuss your finances in detail. Not only do you need to talk about your level of income and debt as of right now, you will need to come up with a plan for managing your finances together after you are married.

If one person in the marriage spends everything they make (and more) and the other person likes to have a substantial cushion of savings to feel secure, this may be a recipe for marital disaster. The person who is the "Saver" in the relationship may start to resent the person who is more of a "Spender." If one person tends to spend money on paying bills, buying clothing for the children, and covering the cost of groceries, while the other one spends money on "fun" items such as vacations or electronics, then the person whose check goes toward everyday expenses may start to resent his or her spouse as well.