Relationships can be tricky, but when you throw in money, they can get really complicated.
SunTrust had found money to be a huge stress with married couples, and about 35% said it was the leading topic they fought about. Something else that caught my eye was 63% of couples feel that their spouse overspends.
Ok, so if money can be a huge source of tension and there is a significant segment that feels like there is a spending problem, then the logical conclusion is that more couples need to talk about money. This may sound like a logical idea, but the reality is that many of us aren’t doing this.
A big factor is that while we know we should talk about money, we don’t exactly know how to do it. How do you actually start the conversations? How do you open up about money without opening a can of worms?
The five key things are:
Rev. Dr. Donna Taylor is the Pastor of Andrew Chapel, United Methodist Church on the Northern Neck in Montross, VA. Rev. Dr. Taylor promotes best practices for financial literacy and financial empowerment in the church and leads workshops throughout Northern Virginia. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the District Finance Committee. In May 2015, Rev. Dr. Taylor received her Doctor of Ministry from Virginia University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, VA. Rev. Dr. Donna Taylor is married to Dr. David Taylor, who is also the Director of our church-based free clinic. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. In her leisure time, Rev. Dr. Taylor enjoys traveling, jogging, weightlifting, swimming, yoga, and interior decorating. In May 2015, Rev. Dr. Taylor received her Doctor of Ministry from Virginia University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia. Rev. Dr. Taylor was born and raised in New York City and recently discovered her ancestral roots in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Rev. Dr. Donna Taylor is married to David Taylor and they have a son and a daughter. Their daughter is a educator and son is an Active-Duty Senior Seaman in the Navy married with three children. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, reading, swimming, writing poetry, crocheting and spending time with her family.