Successful marriages require good communication. The kind of communication you had when you were dating….up close, honest, often, and generous. Remember, that’s when you realized how much you liked it when she wrinkled her nose as she laughed, and she was able to ignore your receding hairline.
When it comes to money and marriage God wants married couples to use money, even challenges with money – to come closer together – not have it damage the relationship. They should think of money as glue to their marriage and not as a wedge that separates. And that requires good communication. To improve your communication, answer these questions together.
How would you rate your communication skills and what can you do to improve? This is the reason we recommend that couples have a weekly money date to pray together and invite the Lord to be part of their financial life, review their income and spending for the week and celebrate when they make progress in their finances. If you establish a time to talk about money, you’ll improve communication.
Do you encourage your spouse and celebrate financial victories? This can change your marriage because when most couples talk about money – there’s a problem. Someone is spending too much or not earning enough. This is why you have to be intentional to celebrate progress. Become your spouse’s number one cheerleader, and it will have a massive impact on the health of your marriage.
What are the biggest differences between you and your spouse? It’s guaranteed that there are going to be differences. As the late Larry Burkett used to say, “If the two of you were the same, one of you would be unnecessary. One is probably a spender and the other a saver. One is probably more gifted in keeping the budget. We should celebrate the differences……and the strengths of your spouse can offset your weaknesses.
Have you agreed upon long-term goals? This is super important because when you both know your most important goals and dreams – you’ll spend money on those things that will help you achieve the goals instead of falling prey to impulse spending.
