Couples & Money is more than the title to the first of 80 titles my publishing company had in the bookstores; it represents the important aspect of the marriage I have, and the need for a couple to align on financial goals to stay married, and to stay happy.
If you want to create wealth, or even financial comfort, it is crucial that you and your mate are aligned around money; saving, spending and investing. My first wife and I were not aligned in this way.
I was never going to be able to support the lifestyle to which she wanted to become accustomed. It seemed no matter how much money I earned, it would always be out-spent, and I gave up.
My current wife and I are aligned on saving and investing, which is how we were able to accumulate apartment buildings and other investments, and how we can take off for weeks at a time if we choose. Well, not during the pandemic, but you get it, right?
Here are some questions you and your mate can separately answer, and afterward discuss to create a better understanding of how each of you got the money values you each have. It is like a Men are from Mars, and Women are from Venus kind of approach to create a safe conversation around money.
- What was my mother’s role concerning finances?
- How is my role like hers?
- What was my father’s role concerning finances?
- How is my role like his?
- As a child, did I think I was rich, poor, or middle-class?
- How do those feelings affect me now?
- What were the main messages my parents gave me regarding money? How closely do I follow them, or rebel against them today?
There are many more helpful questions and suggestions in my book, Wealth On Any Income, but these questions would be a great start for any couple.
If you cannot get the Couples and Money book on Amazon from the following link, let me know. I still have many copies available:
https://www.amazon.com/Couples-Money-Guide-Updated-Millennium/dp/1891689983/
To Your Prosperity,
Rennie
