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Money and Marriage

Ah February, the month of love. What better time to dig into your finances with your partner, right? Marriage and money can be a complex subject. I’ve written a little bit about the money moves my husband and I have made over the years to stay on top of our money game. But my best suggestion? Make time to go over your finances together.

The Impact of Regular “Money Time”

Regularly coming together to look at your finances is extremely important in marriage! Why? Because your futures are intertwined, and finances are a major factor in any potential future you share. If you’re not both on the same page about where your money is going and how close you are to reaching any goals, planning other parts of your future plans will be difficult.

Having regular “money dates” can make space for the time you need to get on the same financial page. Together, you can check in on accounts and investments, review your personal incomes, and set and monitor financial goals. Doing this regularly can build your motivation and help you stay on top of financial projects, like paying off debt or building an emergency fund.

Make It Fun

Money and Marriage: At Peace With Money In my last post, I put up a book review of Bari Tessler’s The Art of Money. Check it out if you haven’t already! One of my favorite pieces of wisdom from her is that it’s important to try to make looking at your finances more pleasant for you! If it feels difficult to look at your accounts and really be honest with yourself, think about what you can do to make it more fun. This could be relaxing music, lighting some candles, a warm fire – anything to make the task feel more comfortable. This same advice holds for money dates with your partner. If it’s hard for the two of you to sit down and talk about money, brainstorm together about how you can make it more fun and bearable!

I hope this info has inspired you to check in with your life partner and gauge the path of your financial futures! I wish you smooth sailing. Check out my article on money buddies for more ideas!

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Angela

Book Review: The Art of Money by Bari Tessler

If you read my newsletter (you can sign up by clicking here) then you know that this month, I’m focusing on how we can love ourselves through our money. This idea touches on financial self care, but also folds in the idea that looking after our finances can be a pleasant and loving thing we do in our lives.

If there is a book that captures that sentiment, The Art of Money by Financial Therapist Bari Tessler is it. This is one of the first books that I read when I became interested in adding financial coaching to my bookkeeping practice. While I know that I have a talent for helping people with their money systems, Bari Tessler has a talent for helping people go deeper in their relationship with money. If you have ever listened to Bari speak on her podcast, you can clearly hear her voice in this book. She truly makes doing emotional work around money feel like a safe space.

She lays the process out in three phases and includes many useful practices in each area. Her first phase gently lays out a process to understand and heal your feelings and your history around your money past. She utilizes her training in somatic psychology to help facilitate this process.

In phase two, she covers the practical side of dealing with money. Here she includes something we’ll explore later this month: money dates, or spending intentional time working on your finances, in a pleasant way. She also talks about setting up money systems and assembling your support team – whether that is professional help or a money buddy.

Her final phase deals with goals, dreams and plans. Her philosophy holds that when you have healed your relationship with money and have tools in place to address it, you can start to see the bigger picture and how your dreams can become reality. This book can be a great resource, but particularly if you have money beliefs or blocks that are holding you back. It provides support and practical tools to heal and move forward with improved financial self care. My posts this month will feature other ideas and support around this topic. If you are ready for more in-depth help around your money systems, I invite you to reach out and schedule a call.

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Angela