Don't Know How to Get Your Spouse on the Same Page Financially? Start here. (2024)

Tips like thesehelped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story inSlaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.

Here’s my little Happy New Year gift to you. Each day in January, I’ll bring you a simple, concrete and easy to put in place tip to fuel your efforts to Save Money, Pay Off Debt, and Be Awesome this year. Looking for a quick plan? Well this might not to be the right place for you. Most things down well take time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t begin to implement systems in your life that will help you achieve your goals. I’ve said it many, many times before.Paying off debt isn’t complex. It’s just not easy. You have to punch the clock daily and do the hard work. Here’s another way to make that happen

You certainly don’t have to be married to kick debt in the teeth. However, if you are, you need to be unbelievably intentional about communicating with your spouse about your finances. The amount that you communicate can be just as important than how you communicate.

What you may not know about our story is that for about two years, the King of Free attempted to communicate the vision of getting out of debt to me. I wasn’t vehemently opposed to the idea. I mean, who says, “Yeah! I am so glad that we are in over $127K in debt?” However, I just couldn’t catch the vision of how we would get out of debt. I am so thankful that my very wise husband was very intentional with how he continually cast the vision. He gave me resources to check out. He changed his own personal behavior. He communicated the vision with love and kindness, not with nagging, condemnation, or forceful change.

What he did do was to cast the vision in context ofdreaming big.What could we do if so much of our income wasn’t monthly heading straight out the door to payments? Where could we give more? How could we bless our children? Where could we visit? How could we secure our future? He was also the first to quit using the credit card. Let’s just say this action spurred me on to quit using it, too. That change in behavior spoke louder than any words he could have ever spoken.

When you have budget meetings (which you really need to do if you don’t already), be sure that you schedule them at a time with as little distraction as possible. Turn off the TV, make sure that the kids are entertained (or asleep), power down your devices (unless you’re using budgeting software), all to make the most of your time. It’s always best to come into the discussion with a spirit of teachability. If you don’t understand, ask questions (again with the “how” you communicate in mind). Turn your palms up. See your spouse as a partner in crime, an essential member of the same team, not an adversary. Quit focusing on what your spouse needs to do to change and begin looking at what you can do to change.

You can’t kick debt in the teeth without actually talking to each other. Honestly, if you’re not in the practice of regularly communicating about finances, it might feel incredibly awkward at first. However, as it is with anything new, the more you practice the more accomplished you become and the more natural it comes.

Above all, love your spouse well.

Want to be sure you don’t miss a single one of the 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth? Be sure to subscribe to my daily newsletter! Look for the bar that looks like this in the upper righthand corner.

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I’m so looking forward to sharing this month of challenge and inspiration with you. Together, we can show debt who’s boss and give it a swift kick in the teeth this January and throughout the year in 2016. Away we go!

Miss the previousposts? Check out:

• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: BELIEVE
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: STOP IT
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: SELL, BABY, SELL
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in The Teeth: USE CASH
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: PLAN YOUR MEALS
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT BUDGETING
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: READ A BOOK
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: QUIT RESTAURANTS
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: DREAM ON!
• 31 Ways to Kick Debt in the Teeth: SET LIMITS

My book is now available:Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.You can also check outInspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Freeon Kindle.

This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal or maybe even something for free, you also help our family pay off our mortgage early. And for that, we royally thank you!