They say experience is the best teacher. I disagree. I believe other people’s experience is the best teacher.
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Would you end up on the couch if you brought up money issues? If you can’t try, your marriage is in trouble.
According to research from Kansas State University, arguing about money is the top predictor of divorce. In a move to keep my marriage divorce-proof, I chat with my wife about money, even though the discussions end in fights about 40% of the time.
I pulled out an even bigger gun to tackle this problem.
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We struggle to get our points across. We offend each other when we discuss how we would like to use our money. This issue came up recently when my wife asked about giving a family member money. Giving money to a family member can ruin a relationship forever. I pulled out the big guns to address this difficult issue: read a book finances.
I read a book a day for the 66 Day Experiment. On day 64, I read One Bed, One Bank Account because my wife brought up the money issue the night prior. I struggled with how to communicate my opinion of the money situation without hurting my wife (the family member was on her side). Talking about money and family is an excellent recipe for an argument, one that would end with me on the couch.
They say experience is the best teacher. I disagree. I believe other people’s experience is the best teacher. I pulled out an even bigger gun to tackle this problem of talking finances: talk to the book’s author Derek Olsen in this episode of the 66 Day Experiment. I invited Derek onto my podcast to discuss our money situation.
Derek answers our questions and gives us a peace about our money issue. We discuss
- How to talk about touchy money issues (like giving money to relatives).
- Common traps to avoid when discussing finances.
- How to bring up money concerns if your spouse doesn’t want to talk (without killing each other).
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Photo: Flickr/ Ed Yourdon