As tax season approaches, many people are getting ready to do their taxes on their own.  We did ours using Turbo Tax for years until ours got too complicated and I got too nervous:)  If you do yours on your own Turbo Tax is great  and really makes it easy. 

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Finances: A Common Challenge in Marriages

Ashley McIlwain from littlewifey.com has a great guest post for us today about how to manage finances within marriage.

“Finances are one of the top reasons marriages end in divorce. There are several contributing factors to why that is the case:

1. We often have different ideas of how we want to handle finances in a marriage. One person may think you save as much as you can and spend only what you need to, while maybe the other person thinks you should just spend it if you have it. Sometimes the problem is who handles the finances – the husband or wife, you or me. Other times the problem is just not knowing how to handle finances – what to spend where, how much to save, coming up with a budget, etc.
2. Money has always been but continues to grow into an all-consuming obsession in people’s lives. We can never make enough of it, can never own enough things, and will sacrifice just about anything, including our marriages, relationships, and families to have as much of it as possible. We forget that most of the time we started making money so that the "things" we could have were actually for our marriages and families. Hmmm…our original motivation for making money becomes the doormat for the obsession of money.
3. Not knowing how to budget and handle money. A lot of couples really don’t know what to do with their finances, which typically leads to a lot of bills and debt that ultimately leads to a lot of fighting and strain on each person and the marriage.
Well, what now? There are numerous things you can do to help alleviate these issues:

~~ Put your money in place! Money is not the be all, know all, top priority in life. It is that necessity to take care of our families. Keep your priorities in order – family & marriage first, money & things second.
~~ If you aren’t married yet, start talking about finances. How do you want to handle them? Who is going to manage them? Set up a budget, and maybe even go see a financial planner if at all possible.
~~ If you are married, still get to talking on finances. It is never too late to sit down and talk about how you want to handle the finances, who is going to handle them, and your financial goals. If things are a little out of order and chaotic, go set up an appointment with a financial planner to help them help you.
~~ Avoid debt! Nowadays there are so many ways to get what you want without actually having the money for it. If you don’t have the money for it…don’t get it!! The Bible says in Proverbs 22:7 "The borrower is slave to the lender." Debt can add so much unnecessary stress to our lives and marriages, so I would encourage you to be very cautious and careful when considering taking on debt.
~~ Set up a budget. The basic principle of a budget is to know how much money is coming in, how much money needs to go out (rent, car payment, insurance, food, etc.), and then how much is left over. What is coming in needs to be higher than what is going out.
~~ Distinguish between needs and wants. Indulging in constant wants leads to debt, so be careful. A simple rule is to literally ask yourself with each thing you are buying, "is this a want or a need?"
~~ Use coupons & other money-saving resources. SaveAtHomeMommy.com is a great resource for this!
~~Keep Christ in your finances. As a Christian, I believe tithing is so important. I have always been a believer in tithing and have always had my financial needs met. God blesses us with all that we have whether we realize that, believe that, or not; trust Him with what He has given you.

These are just a few ways to help get you on track and keep you on it. Statistically married couples are financially better off than someone who is single or divorced. The last thing you want to do is allow your marriage to fall apart on account of finances. Money does not last, but your marriage and family should.
Like what you read? Check out more helpful information like this at www.littlewifey.com – Helping relationships thrive!