You know how the saying goes: Opposites attract.
Well I’d also venture to bet that, in every relationship, there’s one person who handles the finances and one person who avoids talking money at all costs. I am the latter.
When I was younger, I read “Smart Women Finish Rich:9 Steps to Achieving Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams,” a powerful book by David Bach. It’s an easy-to-read guide to help women navigate and take control of their personal finances through other people’s experience and anecdotes.
Fortunately, (and I’m trying to type this without smirking) my husband is extremely fiscally responsible.
We have “discussions” on every item we buy — painfully long and ridiculously drawn out discussions.
We have a family financial planner. The last time I spoke to him was when I changed jobs. I needed him to assure me that I wasn’t accidentally forfeiting my 401(K) as I completed all of my paperwork.
I receive periodic e-mails reminding me to review my investment options so that I may retire responsibly. My paychecks and bank accounts are all accessible online. I’ll give you one guess as to how often I take the time to review my finances. Here’s a hint: It’s about the same percentage of time that I spend on cooking.
My husband offers to sit down and explain to me where all our money gets invested as well as how we’re routinely spending it. I agree to his offer and, within 10 minutes, we get sidetracked. He is not patient by nature, nor am I logical. Opposites attract. The result? We rarely talk about money unless we’re having “discussions” about it.
Like most things in life, I feel like the more effort you put into something, the better you feel about it. Why should financial planning be any different?
You can imagine my surprise when I learned that Bach wrote another book titled, “Smart Couples Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future for You and Your Partner.”
I’m thinking this might be the perfect stocking stuffer for me and my husband. Because nothing says “I love you,” like a book about how to spend money.
Heidi Woodard is married with three children. Read her Thursdays on momaha.com
Do you and your significant other have a surefire and mutually agreed upon way to handle your money?
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