How and When to Talk About Money in a New Relationship?

A bit of friction on various issues in a relationship can keep the spark alive between couples but when it comes to the matter of finances. It's best that things are handled with great care and caution suggests Delhi’s eminent relationship counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo.

But talking about money is not easy, especially in the early stages of the relationship, when couples don’t want to do anything wrong to put the mood off of their partner and to risk their growing bonding. So the question is how and when to talk about money in a new relationship? Today counselor Shivani shares some important advice on talking about money matters in a relationship.

 Begin the conversation early

Generally, couples don’t prefer to share too much information on their second or third date, but it’s still important to start the conversation early. Counselor Shivani suggests that one can take advantage of the early part of their relationship to begin talking about money. It’s the time when they both are happy, curious, and kind to one another, and this will help them to establish a pattern of calm, respectful dialogue about this hot-button topics.

Starting early also eliminates surprises in the future. For example, the guy is solely focused on buying a home and for that, he plans to avoid any unnecessary expenditure before buying the home. He visions after marriage the first thing he will do is buy a good apartment. Whereas the girl dreams to have a splendid honeymoon in a foreign land and to go places after marriage. She wants her husband to buy an SUV car and go on for road trips with her. They both may feel their way of starting a married life is ideal and may end up disappointed after getting married if they do not share their financial dreams well before time so they know what to expect from their relationship.

BRING IT UP ORGANICALLY

A lot of people shy away from talking about money because they think it’s a taboo. If a person feels that their partner is hesitant to talk about finances then they may start the conversation by talking about the thing they want to do in life—travel, switch careers, move to a different city. Typically, those goals require money, so it’s a natural into discussing your financial picture.

GO FOR DEEPER CONVERSATION

Once a couple starts the initial conversation about their finances, they should further drive the conversation to get an idea of one another's financial picture. This means they should gradually discuss their debt obligations, financial philosophies, budgeting goals, and so on.