Although talking about money in a relationship is never really fun, it’s also vital for the health of your relationship and your future marriage.  Money is a common topic that couple’s fight about, and it’s important to figure out where you both stand, and where your differences are.

If you’ve got differences, that’s ok, but getting married is only going to intensify them, especially if they aren’t talked about and figured out. Before you get married, figure out how your partner feels towards money.  Just because it may seem awkward, it does not mean that it has to bed or that it has to be a negative conversation.  You can even start out by talking to them about what money means to you. If you a spender and they are a saver, this needs to be figured out.

Once you understand how you partner feels towards money, you can start to also understand what your differences in values are, and how different they really are. You’ve got to stop and ask yourself if they are differences that you can live with, and accept that they are different, rather than simply just ”wrong”.

Then, once you’ve established your differences in values, and what you are willing to accept, or not accept, then you can start to find compromises that work for both of you so that you can avoid constant fighting.  Some couples will base their spending’s based on their personal earnings, while others put their money together and allow each person a certain amount for their own small personal things. Larger purchases are often discussed prior to being made.

Whatever you and your partner may decide to do when it comes to money, it’s important to respect each other’s values and to check in regularly to see how both of you are feeling.