Did you know that disagreements about money are a leading cause of divorce?
A lot of people don’t like to discuss money, not even with their spouse. But trust me, you need to. Planning a budget together is a great way to get closer and achieve your financial goals.
First, you need to have open communication. Lay it all out there: the good, the bad and the ugly. Be transparent about your income, your spending and your debts. Remember, you’re a team and you need to work together.
Next, talk about your goals. Do you want to buy a home together? Plan for retirement? Children? What about personal goals: maybe one of you wants to start a business or go back to school.
You also need to discuss how your finances will be organized. Will you have joint accounts or keep everything separate? There are no wrong answers, just do what’s best for both of you.
Once you’ve got all of that down. It’s time to start working on building the actual budget. You can get my free Build Your Budget template and a tutorial on how to use it to help you on your way!