Money can easily become an issue in a marriage when one spouse spends more than the couple earns. The spending habit is a giant hurdle. When a husband thinks his wife is bad with money or spends too much money, whether it’s reality or perception, financial and marriage problems follow.
A study by the individuals displayed. Instead, it was the perception about how spendy the other spouse was.
Ashley LeBaron, BYU graduate student said, “The fact that spouses’ perceptions of each other’s spending behaviors were so predictive of financial conflict suggests that when it comes to the impact of finances on relationships, perceptions may be just as important, if not more important, than reality.”
According to husbands who found their wife is bad with money was the highest contributor to financial conflict. Opposingly, a wife who found their husband as a spender was responsible for argument. This mainly observed between couples with high incomes and low incomes as well as with couples who spent a lot and those who did not spend much at all.
State professor Sonya Britt-Lutter said, “Couples need to communicate about finances, especially early in the marriage. Don’t think that financial problems will magically go away when circumstances change. The study showed that circumstances weren’t the issue here, the perception was, and perception doesn’t always change when circumstances do.”
In addition, couples who have more children are more likely to impact financial conflict. 90 percent of women and 85 percent of men reported that they experienced some kind of financial worries.
Means, no matter what the perceptions or realities are exactly if finances are causing problems in a marriage, help is possible.
Hill said, “The good news is that couples can benefit from clinical help. Whether that be a financial planner or a marriage and family, therapist.”