Conscious Spending for Couples : Seven Skills for Financial Harmony

"Love and money. Romance and the ultimate romance killer. Somewhere between the first date and the first shared utility bill, money nudges into a relationship, creating a threesome that is sometimes harmonious, sometimes hard to deal with." –Deborah Knuckey, from Conscious Spending for Couples Money may not be the root of all evil, but conflicts over money can be the greatest source of trouble in a relationship. Arguing over money aggravates the frustrations, fears, and control issues in any relationship, and those hot button issues can, in turn, make it more difficult to manage money sensibly. If this syndrome sounds familiar, Conscious Spending for Couples is here to help. In this commonsense guide, money coach Deborah Knuckey applies her "Conscious Spending" approach to help couples strengthen their financial relationships. Conscious Spending is the art of aligning how you use your money with what you truly value–minimizing the money spent on things you enjoy less to free up money for what you enjoy more. Knuckey examines how men and women differ in the way they handle money and how these differences can prevent a couple from moving toward financial bliss. She then introduces practical tools for effective money management–based on interviews with couples from a wide variety of backgrounds–exploring real financial interactions and getting down to the root of what works and what doesn’t in a diverse group of financial situations involving couples. To help navigate the complicated relationship between a couple’s financial and emotional lives, Knuckey introduces the "Three Rules for Financial Bliss" that focus on how you and your partner can establish a fair and strong financial foundation. Next, she outlines the "Seven Skills for Financial Harmony"–skills that will help couples become conscious of their money and create an abundant future. Working together, you and your partner will learn how to: Plan together Create a simple structure Establish good financial habits Communicate through conflict Invest for strong returns Create a safety net for two Get help when you need it Knuckey will also guide you and your mate as you take a detailed look at the four biggest decisions you will make in your financial lives–such as buying a house and retiring–and find ways of approaching these decisions that will work for both of you. Simple quizzes and checklists help you determine what needs changing in your financial relationship and how to make those changes as painless as possible. Conscious Spending for Couples gives you the skills and confidence to use money to create joy and harmony in both of your lives.