One thing which can really cause a marriage to fall apart is financial stress. Having to worry about bills and budgets can cause couples to quickly become frustrated with each other. However, there are some ways you can fight through this stress, and come out better for it…
Financial Stress: How To Handle It
Work together
When dealing with financial stress, it can be very easy to start blaming each other for your situation. “If you hadn’t done this” or “Why did you buy this” are just some of the common phrases that get tossed around. However, if you want to really handle this situation effectively, you’ll have to work together.
Talk to each other openly about your situation. Figure out what each of your perspectives are without just casting blame on one another. Then, work with each other to plan out a potential course of action. That way, you can both feel confident knowing you’re handling this together.
Don’t keep secrets
Another issue that financial stress causes is secret keeping. When money becomes tight, some partners might feel like their other partner will scrutinize their purchases. In order to avoid this hounding, they might begin to keep their purchases a secret. However, this falls into financial infidelity territory, which itself is another common cause for divorce.
Instead, it’s much better to not keep financial secrets. After all, this is a situation that you need to handle together. If you feel like your partner is being a bit too critical, let them know. It might just be that the stress is making them act a bit differently than they usually would.
Don’t avoid outside help
Often times, financial stress and pride prove to be a dangerous mix. Many couples tend to be very prideful and determined to handle their finances by themselves. However, there’s nothing wrong with accepting some outside help.
For example, it might help to meet with a financial plannerto see how you can turn your finances around. They may be able to give you some options you might not have considered otherwise. Also, if friends or family are willing to lend you a hand, don’t let your pride get in the way of accepting their help.
