Hi Everyone,
Romance can be an expensive proposition. Remember how last month I told you I was going to track all of my spending? I was true to my word. I wrote down every penny, (and ruble) I spent over the past month. And one of the revelations I found is that romance can be costly. See, I visited my girlfriend in Belarus again in November. We had all sorts of fun but with airfare and hotel and wonderful meals and the like, whew, it can really add up. Fifty-two percent of all the money I spent in November was related to my trip. But you know what? It was all worth it.
My trip to Belarus wasn’t all fun and romance. My girlfriend and I decided to have a serious conversation about finances and attitudes towards money. These conversations are critical to the success of any relationship. Disagreements about money are one of the leading causes of relationships breaking up. I know of many couples who are no longer together because of misunderstandings about money and finances. I was happy we had our conversation. I found out that my girlfriend is like me in that she is a good saver and although she likes the finer things in life she doesn’t like excess.
Now it’s time for me to ask you a question. Have you taken the time to have a discussion about money with your significant other? If you’re currently in the romance phase of a relationship have you considered having this conversation? I know that it can be an extremely difficult conversation but relationships aren’t built on romance. They’re built on understanding and understanding in the area of money and finances is so very important.
One more question for you. Do you have someone in your life who spends money like it’s going out of style? (Are you the person in the family who spends money like that?) Depending on your answers to these questions maybe it’s time to have a conversation that may not be pleasant but could lead to a happier, healthier relationship.
I will continue to write down all my expenditures over the next few months and report back to you my findings. Please join me. Get yourself a little notebook you can put in your pocket or your purse and whenever you spend some money write it down. And at the end of the month use your home banking to see what you’ve spent using your debit card. Then take an hour or so to categorize everything you’ve spent. Do this exercise like I do, without guilt. What you’re trying to do is gain more knowledge about yourself. This month I learned that romance can be expensive but I also learned that the woman I am romancing has attitudes towards money very similar to mine. Now that’s knowledge worth having.
Till Next Time,