Let me introduce you to a new way of dating your spouse. It is the single most important date your marriage can’t afford to miss! If you can make the commitment in this moment to learning about and following through with the Budget Date, you will no longer have trouble talking about money with your spouse!
The idea behind a budget date is simple! Set a regular date where you and your hubby talk about your finances. It doesn’t have to be long and it doesn’t need to be intense. But you need routine checkups to make financial course corrections as your lives change.
But first there are two things we need to address before we get to the shortcuts…
Rules for Talking About Money With Your Spouse
The first step to having a successful experience in talking about money with your spouse is to set some ground rules. Doing this will set the foundation to be sure the lines for conversation are wide open!
Before you move on, make sure that you have read this article that outlines 11 Rules for Talking About Money with Your Spouse. Without accepting these rules as a couple, trying to move forward will be pointless.
FREE Budgeting Workbook for Couples!
5 Effective Action Steps to Get on the Same Page Financially with Your Husband
One last thing before we talk about the three shortcuts that are going to quickly get you and your spouse on the same page about finances. There are 5 steps in the process of getting your finances on track as a couple. Communication and goal setting are a huge part of that!
DO NOT miss reading this article that draws out the blueprint of five steps to get on the same page financially as your hubby. In this article you will get the BONUS Financial Unity Planner Kit for Couples. Making the entire process of getting the financial conversation started easy as ever!
Part 3 of 3 for Financial Unity
This is Part 3 of a three part series all about finding Financial Unity between you and your spouse. I really hope that these articles together with our free Financial Unity Planner Kit for Couples can help couples break past the barriers that are holding them back from reaching financial freedom!
I hear all the time that one spouse is ready to break bad habits and making their money work towards achieving their dreams. Yet the other spouse has a long list of why they thing it won’t work or why they don’t want to do it.
I truly believe that if you can come together and work through this series and free workbook, you can get on the same page and start telling your money what to do instead of wondering where it went!
If you missed any part of the series, here is a quick reference for you:
Part 1:11 Rules to Instantly Increase Your Success When Talking About Money With Your Spouse
Part 2:5 Simple Steps to Get on the Same Page Financially with Your Spouse
Part 3:3 Shortcuts to Talking About Money With Your Spouse – The Budget Date
The Budget Date! 3 Shortcuts to Talking About Money With Your Spouse
Having date night is key to keeping things moving and exciting in any marriage. The same rule goes for you family finances!
It is vital that you and your spouse make budget dates a part of your regular routine as a couple. Without them, all your hard work of setting goals and creating a path to achieving them will ultimately collapse!
1. Be consistent
There are two types of financial dates you need every month to keep your finances on track. The first is a weekly/biweekly checkup. This one is going to be less involved and topics covered should be basic such as bills, financial assignments, and anything that has come up since your last budget date.
These weekly or biweekly dates can usually be accomplished in 10 minutes or less. For my hubby and I, due to his abnormal work schedule, this budget date is usually accomplished via a quick phone call or a couple simple texts while he is on his break while he is at work.
The second type of budget date is a monthly check in. This budget date still doesn’t need to take much time. (As long as you are consistent!) 30 minutes usually can cover it.
Here is where you need to make time to sit eye to eye, with all financial worksheets and spreadsheets on the table, and don’t your Financial Unity Planner Kit for Couples.
Now is the time to make sure that your finances are reflecting the path you need to go in order to achieve the goals you set together as a couple. If you see yourselves going down the wrong path, immediately identify what needs to happen to get back on course before you are so far off it gets even harder to correct.
With these two types of budget dates set in action, make sure you are consistent. Make it a matter of life or death to be on time for your budget dates!
2. Keep it casual
The more consistent you are with your budget dates and talking about money with your spouse, the more casual the dates can be. It will become rare to find yourselves having a serious conversation.
So it doesn’t need to be a strict ridiculing of one another. Remember the rules for talking about money you have already have set and keep the conversation light and hopeful.
Be there to support each other through the speed bumps and be each other’s cheerleader for all the amazing achievements you WILL make!
3. Incentive
Lastly, keep if fun! Our favorite way to make our budget dates more appealing is to be sure and include a treat! Sometimes I will quickly bake a batch of cookies earlier in the day with the kids, or simply pop a bag of popcorn right before we sit down. It couldn’t be more basic, but it works!
Don’t forget!
This is Part 3 of a three part series all about finding Financial Unity between you and your spouse. I really hope that these articles together with our free Financial Unity Planner Kit for Couples can help couples break past the barriers that are holding them back from reaching financial freedom!
I hear all the time that one spouse is ready to break bad habits and making their money work towards achieving their dreams. Yet the other spouse has a long list of why they thing it won’t work or why they don’t want to do it.
I truly believe that if you can come together and work through this series and free workbook, you can get on the same page and start telling your money what to do instead of wondering where it went!
If you missed any part of the series, here is a quick reference for you:
Part 1:11 Rules to Instantly Increase Your Success When Talking About Money With Your Spouse
Part 2:5 Simple Steps to Get on the Same Page Financially with Your Spouse
Part 3:3 Shortcuts to Talking About Money With Your Spouse – The Budget Date
What do you think?
Do you think you can keep to these 3 simple shortcuts for talking about money with your spouse? If you can, I am positive you will find the time you spend as a couple talking about money become so much easier and a much quicker experience then you have ever experienced!
Thanks so much for stopping in and I will talk to you soon! Xoxo
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About Brittany Cooper
My name is Brittany and I am devoted to saving our family money in everything we do. Yes I do coupon but that is not the only frugal thing I do. I'm a bargain hunter, tester of all things DIY, trip planner, our family’s chef, and lover of all things chic. I may be obsessed with being frugal but I still love to add bits of beauty to our home. Decorating on pennies works, it just takes a little patience. I am a firm believer that with a bit of planning you can save your family a lot of money.
