Money Talk Matters – Bride and Groom Money Talk©

Now is the time during the engagement and wedding planning for a bride-to-be and groom to get on the same page about finances. How do they do this? First and foremost they should go to dinner and begin discussing openly and honestly with each other, how they handled money as a single person. What did they do that they like and what did they do that they did not like and would not want to see in their marriage.

This is a time to put things on the table in order to establish a financial foundation for their marriage. WOOHOO, they can think beyond the wedding day in order to start their marriage off on proper footing. This is not a time to close one eyes to financial behavior that might not be appropriate.

Take adavantage of this time and begin discussing money. Doesn’t have to be a very heavy discussion from the beginning and should be almost like a fact finding mission. Bride to be could invite the groom over and make his favorite dinner and ease their way into discussing finances on a regular basis. Set the tone which would say to your groom, I want us to have a solid financial foundation for our marriage.

This is one of the hardest talks but also one of the most important beginnings to every marriage. Do yourself a favor and do not wait until a week or two prior to walking down the aisle to begin having this talk. It is very important nevertheless and should be taken very serious.

What does it mean to save? Does it mean that you put money away one time a year? Do you put money into a bank once a month every month? Do you put away a certain percentage every time you get paid? What does saving mean and what does it mean to you?

Saving is not meaning in this aspect to rescue a person. Savings means funds put by as a reserve for whatever reason. Regardless of your financial situation, one of the goals you should have is to have a savings account with a certain amount of money in it.

What does saving mean to you? For me savings mean having that reserve for emergencies, having a fund that can sit there and not touch but grow repeatedly as I continue to put money in the account. I think one aspect of saving that would make it easy for people is to have an automatic deduction coming out of your checking account that goes into a savings account. Why? Because then you will not miss that money.

Let’s say for example, you had one bill that you had to pay off and then you would not have any other bills. Why not take the money you were paying on the bill and put it directly into your savings! Since you were used to taking that money and paying on a bill, why not turn around and pay yourself. Ahhhh! What a concept. Don’t take that money back into your wallet that you spend. Why not build up your savings even more by putting that money aside in addition to what you were already doing.

If you do an automatic deduction every time you get paid, then you have already made your decision. This can be different for each person because you have to look at various factors: employment – are you working for someone else or do you work for yourself; do you have a lot of bills and have not figured out what you can do without in order to save; or have you established a certain time within your financial plan for 2010  that you will begin saving? Whichever answer it is, all I want to say is BEGIN.

Go to America Saves and sign up. They are a resource that also acts as an accountability person that encourages you with various email messages. Begin your savings plan today!

I want to share today a firsthand account of “The Marriage Fishbowl”. The marriage fishbowl just doesn’t apply to people in high profile offices, but it also applies to people in ministries, certain high profile atheletes and much more.

I remember when my husband and I were dating, there were people in my class at the time that did not like us being together. It happens and I am sure some of you can relate. We represent happiness and true love. Not judging someone based on appearances and other people’s opinion.

At the time we were dating, I was attending ministry school. We got engaged while I was in school and married about two months prior to graduation. There were people that were watching our every move – did he treat me well, how do they act in pubic and etc. Some went so far as to say we would not make it. There was at least one or two other couples that formed based on our relationship because they felt our marriage had given them the green light to marry outside of their race. My husband and I knew that GOD brought us together so we were not marrying each other out of rebellion to our parents or anything of that nature.

So we felt like we had been in the fishbowl. In a few months we will be celebrating 14 yrs of marriage. We have an unconditional love and are both givers. That definitely makes all the difference in the world.

It does not take being The First Family to be in “The Marriage Fishbowl.” More than likely it is happening right there in your own community.