Don’t let your relationship go bust

The beginning of the recession marked the start of a difficult time both financially and personally for many, with money worries jumping to the forefront of numerous relationships and spelling disaster.

Back at the start of the recession, calls to Relate’s relationship helpline increased dramatically, rising by 59 per cent during October and November 2008 when compared to just a year earlier. This steep increase indicates that financial strife can play a large role in relationship dissatisfaction and if that is the case for you then it is time to start taking action.

Read on for some useful tips which could help to prevent your relationship from going bust:

Don’t keep secrets

If you have been keeping a large credit card bill a secret with no way of paying it off then it is time to come clean. If you have a gut feeling that your partner is hiding a financial issue from you then be open about the fact you are willing to share responsibility and don’t expect them to handle things all on their own.

Set a budget

If you both put the same amount of money into a joint account each month but one of you is spending more than your fair share down the pub or on manicures then you need to sit down and work out a strategy, starting with identifying the essentials in your life and then moving on to eliminate anything which you don’t really need to spend money on.

Share happy memories

Back before the dawn of cinema and restaurants or even as children or teens with very little disposable income, relationships were exciting enough without package holidays and fine dining. You don’t have to spend money to be romantic so take a nice stroll, have a picnic in the park, cook a romantic meal at home or run your partner a nice bubble bath.

Don’t blame one another

If you are arguing about money then try really hard not to place the blame on the other person or refer to specific incidences such as ‘you spent too much money on your mothers birthday present’ or ‘your spending is out of control’. Instead try to adopt a more positive and helpful attitude by saying something like ‘we seem to have overspent this month so let’s sit down together and figure out a solution so this doesn’t happen again’.

If you are struggling to effectively manage your finances and would like top talk to a financial coach, please visit our fact-sheet for further information.

View the original All About You article.