moneyandmarriage

Since financial compatibility is rarely discussed before a couple makes a long-term commitment, it has become one of the most difficult hurdles in a marriage. Money is known to be the number one issue married couples argue about, with more than a third blaming finances for the stress they experience in their relationship. This season, with the year’s high inflation and rising costs, the holidays may not feel so “merry & bright” for many.

Senior Director of Winshape Marriage, Julie Munz Baumgardner discusses with host Sue Duffield, insightful and practical ways couples can successfully navigate — or avoid altogether — financial disagreements this Christmas.

As a passionate champion for families, Julie has nearly 40 years of experience in helping marriages and families thrive. Prior to joining WinShape, she spent 20 years as the President/CEO of First Thing First. Julie currently chairs the Board of Directors for the National Association for Relationship & Marriage Education. She presented at the White House Conference on Helping America’s Youth and testified on Capitol Hill about the benefits of marriage. She is a nationally sought-after speaker at conferences, parenting seminars and marriage retreats where she gives talks on strengthening marriage, preparing for parenthood and navigating the complexities of motherhood. She is a Certified Family Life Educator and Certified Crisis Intervener. Julie and her husband, Jay, have been married since 1989. They are the proud parents of an adult daughter, Ashley. Julie enjoys gardening, horseback riding, cooking, working with children, and mentoring couples.

www.marriagedynamics.com

Video Link - https://youtu.be/5dbhRkWo3qI

In this episode, we talk about our system for guilt free spending and notes on how you can implement it as well.

There are many steps to setting up and designing you financial future – naturally this gets a tad more complicated when you get marriage because you will likely decide to share accounts, etc.

One step we took early on was making sure we still each had the personal freedom of being able to splurge and spend money on ourselves without feeling guilty or worrying about what our spouse thinks.

Initially, we read one of Dave Ramsey’s books and that helped get us started but we wanted to add “Fun Money” accounts into our system where both of us would have our own “bucket” of money to spend on whatever we wanted.

The road to being debt free can be a long one but make sure to give yourself a little grace and be willing to spend money on yourself along the way.

FamilyLifeElevated.com

Let's face it: Couples and money is a hot-button issue for many relationships. Sooner or later, all successful long-term couples need to work together to figure out how to communicate productively about money so that they can get on the same page and create a shared financial future. This is not always easy under the best of circumstances. 

Now, many couples are facing financial uncertainty or even a financial crisis (thanks coronavirus). It's more important than ever to be working as a united team around finances so that your relationship stays strong and healthy... even if your bank account takes a hit.

To help you have constructive, drama free conversations about money with your partner, I've invited my colleague Meagan Terry to give us the scoop on exactly what to do (and what NOT to do) in order to have loving, respectful, and effective conversations about finances that create unity and connection. 

Meagan is a highly experienced marriage counselor who has helped countless couples stop financial conflict and get on the same page around money. Now she's here for YOU. Listen, and get  her actionable tips you can start using today!

With love, 

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com