Five Tips to Save Your Marriage From Financial Stress

The top three keys to a successful marriage are:

1. Finances
   

2. Communication
   

3. Sex

   
   

Finances can wreak havoc on a marriage.

Here are five easy tips to keep your marriage first and keep your finances from stressing you out.

1. Live within your means.

Regardless of what people tell you, debt is slavery. Stay debt-free. Pay off credit cards every month. Buy only what you can afford. This may take time to change your thinking, but it's well worth it. If you are in debt, create a plan to pay it off. Living without debt is like traveling light and can instantly get rid of financial stress.

2. Be thankful for what you have.

When you find yourself wanting more than you need, make a list of what you have and be thankful for it. The most important things in life really are your family and friends. More "stuff" takes more money and more time to manage. Take that time and spend it on the people in your life that really matter. Don't always be looking for the "next big thing" to make you happy.

3. Budget

With all the technology available from banks, apps and websites; budgeting is a no-brainer. Budgeting keeps you focused and on track. It allows you to "spend" all your monthly income on paper and plan ahead for things you need. For example, I needed three pairs of sneakers. A pair for CrossFit, a pair for running, and a pair for hiking trails. This month, I bought one pair, and then I put the other two pairs that I needed in the budget for the following two months. In this day and age, we can impulse buy with one click and have our item on our doorstep in 24 hours. Budgeting allows us to control our money instead of our "wants" controlling us.

4. Keep a running record of things you need or want.

I keep a list of all the things I need and want in the "notes" section of my phone. As I add items, I review the ones at the beginning of the list. 9 times out of 10, I forget that I needed the item, no longer need it, or no longer want it, and it gets deleted. Then I say to myself, "Ah! I just saved $50 bucks."

5. Discuss your finances with your husband at least once a week or once a month.

Check in with each other. Discuss upcoming events and make plans using the keys provided above. When you're like-minded with each other and have the same goals and dreams, your finances will work for you and not against you.