More Many who are divorced say the biggest problems in their marriages were the ones they never addressed. This is why you should take time to discuss each other's money management styles. Although you'll never completely change your spouse's spending habits, you'll both feel better once the issues are out in the open. If you feel a heated argument coming, take a break and reconvene after you've had time to gather your thoughts and put things in proper perspective. Whatever the outcome, try to keep the channels of communication open.
Psychologists say that adults often repeat the habits they observe as children.
Talking things over will allow you to explore your past, present, and future and determine where your different attitudes about money originated. Compulsive shoppers can drop hundreds of dollars without blinking, which can lead to unwelcome surprises when you sit down to balance the checkbook. Another recommendation is to create one joint account through which you pay the regular household living expenses and two separate accounts through which you each pay your own personal expenses. However, you must agree that neither will tap the joint account for anything personal. That account should only be used to pay for household bills, groceries, and necessities.