So many say that money cannot buy love. The problem is that love is not math so we cannot 100% prove that. What we do know though is that money can easily break or make relationships. If you are not driven by greed, money tips might not be interesting for you, just like financial matters. But, in the event that you or your partner care about money, the relationship can definitely be affected.
Satisfaction And Money
For most people, it is common sense that financial problems have some clear negative effects on couples, especially on marriages, which was proven by a study conducted by Texas Tech University. When financial stress is very high, the relationship is not satisfying. Because of the struggles, emotional strain appears and people become uncommunicative, irritable, or hostile.
It is very common to see couples pointing fingers when financial downfalls appear.
Keep in mind that this does not mean a low-income couple will be doomed. Such problems can always be solved with compromises and communication. Financially challenged couples will easily be able to save the relationship as they go through financial crises as a duo.
The Effect Of Spending Habits
Relationships thrive when couples think exactly the same about money. However, when one partner spends a lot and the other one mainly wants to save, huge problems can appear. We will see penny-pinchers always criticizing shopping habits and squanderers end up thinking that partners are boring.
Whenever such a situation appears, the couple has to open the doors to serious conversations. If the two are not on the same page, the relationship cannot work.
Communication And Money
The truth is that money is very difficult to talk about. Couples often find it quite tough to discuss financial disagreements in a way that is constructive, which implies being open-minded and calm. Even when small problems appear, like something as simple as unpaid phone bills, the shouting match that appears tends to be huge.
Money does carry an emotional weight. Financial arguments are rarely about the money. Usually, they appear because of much deeper issues, like control and self-esteem.
Sharing Money
Most committed couples end up sharing income as they split expenses. This is a financial strategy that does sound optimistic though. Unfortunately, it can easily lead to many conflicts, with the end being a wrecked relationship.
As an example, the wife might end up hating the fact that the husband used the joint account in order to buy a sports car when for her a kitchen remodel would be much more important. There are also people that find it to be very unfair to spend a lot of time working hard to then see unemployed partners quickly spending money.
In order to maintain a really healthy relationship, the couple that does spend the wealth has to work together. This involves the creation of a budget, spending rules, and always communicate when major purchases are desired. A failure to do this will eventually lead to resentment, which can easily destroy even the strongest relationships out there.