MS Money: The Money Date
Money is an intimate topic. While your politeness may keep you from talking about money on a date, it is an underlying factor of many important conversations. Our approach to and possession of money is guided by our values, defines our lifestyles and allows us to pursue our dreams. Talking about money may be the most romantic conversation you can have.
We all have goals and dreams in our life. Things we want to accomplish, or a lifestyle that we want to live. These things invariably come with a price tag. To fund those dreams, goals and lifestyles, we need money. How much money we need and how we get that money affects our families and others around us. Talking about money does not need to involve pulling out pay stubs. Talking about money is talking about what your dreams and goals are and how you plan on reaching them.
For many of us, work consumes around a third of our time. Even for those of us fortunate to work in a career that we are passionate about, a big part of why we clock in every day is for the paycheck. When we balance our work with our relationships and lifestyle, money is a large consideration. Ask each other what work looks like in the future, and how it helps you accomplish the goals you have as a couple.
Sharing the load is important in any relationship. Not only does it make good fiscal sense to share domestic tasks, but it strengthens a relationship to do so. If you feel that working long hours is keeping you or your partner from putting in the effort around the house, money may be the real conflict. Discuss how unpaid work by either partner contributes to the wealth of the couple.
Our personal history with money informs our approach to saving, spending and earning. Having a non-judgmental conversation about family histories with money will help you understand each other’s habits more deeply. Changing or accommodating your partner’s habits requires understanding where they come from. Acknowledge each other’s history with money but commit to supporting each other’s future with money.
Go ahead, talk about money on your next date. Money is the undercurrent to many things that you do. Money is a progress meter towards shared goals. Money is a big reason that we spend time apart. Set up a cheap date where you can feel like a million bucks and talk about how to make your financial dreams come true!
