Love and Finance: How to Conduct the Conversation

Some say love is limitless. Love has no boundaries. If you share that special connection with someone, nothing can get in your way. For those of us living in reality, we know this not to be true. There are many factors that have an effect on our relationships, finances being one of them.

You’ll find yourself in quite the predicament if you avoid the topic altogether. Often times a couple will avoid talking about their finances because it’s a sensitive subject. You can’t let the hinder you, though, because it’ll catch up to you eventually when you’re struggling to pay off the debt accrued by your significant other.

Once you’re able to sit down with your partner and really hash out your finances, you’ll want to discuss the following:

Priorities You and your partner need to list your future goals and priorities. Find your commonalities, and agree to focus your spending/saving on your priorities accordingly. Honest Opinions Though there may be some friction between your values, you need to discuss what you want and why you want it. Be rational, have an open mind, and try to understand your partner’s point of view.

Plans You’ll need to come up with a plan to fund your goals. Now you can discuss how you will manipulate your income and expenses to reach your goals within a specific time frame. Emotions Now that you’ve rationalized your ambitions and created a financial plan, you can express your emotions freely with your partner. Planning for your future is exciting. This will set a new milestone for your relationship. The direction you’ve paved for yourselves is something you can both look forward to.