In an ideal world, you and your partner would have the same financial perspective, but that’s not always the reality. Plenty of couples work out their financial differences, but it does take some effort and understanding. To get a better idea of where your partner is coming from, swap money habits.
Australian money picture from Shutterstock
We all know how common it is for couples to fight over money. To curb financial arguments, Olivia Mellan, a couples therapist and money coach tells LearnVest it helps to “try on” your partner’s money personality. Next time you disagree about money, you’ll have a better idea of the other person’s perspective.
To try this, you should obviously know how you both view and handle money. Maybe you’re incredibly frugal and your spouse is a spendthrift. Maybe your spouse doesn’t like to think about money at all. Chances are, if you’re fighting about money, you probably already have a good idea of each other’s money philosophy. If not, learn more about it here.
From there, LearnVest suggests:
Pick a day when you and your significant other can “swap” approaches to money. For instance, if you’re the saver and your partner is the spender, purchase a non-essential item you’d normally forgo that day — maybe a hardcover bestseller, or a new sweater for your sweetie — as long as the purchase fits within your budget. Meanwhile, your partner can focus on taking a predetermined amount of money — perhaps an amount that’s equal to what she’d normally spend in a day — and transferring it into a savings or investment account.
After the swap, you should write down or discuss what it felt like to leave your financial comfort zones. Focus on how you might be able to empathise with your partner’s money habits. Overall, the exercise is meant to help you communicate and compromise. For more detail, check out the full post.
Power Hack of the Week: Swap Money Personalities With Your Significant Other [LearnVest]
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