5 Ways To Stay Honest About Your Spending [EXPERT]
By Christine Arylo. Posted on .
When you get down to what separates great, long-lasting partnerships from ones that start with the best intentions but fizzle out over time, there are a few very basic rules and behaviors that while seem to be common sense, most people don't have a clue how to go about.
One of the most vital is HONESTY. When life is smooth, honesty is easy. It's when the bumps come up that the temptation to fib, to disguise or avoid the truth seem like the simplest path. But over time, little lies build to bigger lies and resentment — neither of which you want hanging around your relationship. Stop Sabotaging Your Love Life!
Especially with the holidays coming up, you could find yourself in all kinds of sticky situations that take your peace on earth and turn it into a whopping fight.
Here are some simple ways to make sure you keep Money Peace flowing in your relationships this holiday season:
Say You …
- Spend a chunk of change without consulting your partner
- Blow the budget you both agreed to
- Put something on credit when you've agreed you are paying off your debt
What Not To Do
- Hide the bill and pray he/she never finds out.
- Feel guilty, wait for them to figure it out and beg for forgiveness.
- Sneak your misdemeanor into another conversation or get to them while they are busy or distracted.
- Fess up but slough it off as not a big deal, you'll find the money somewhere, after the holidays!
Ways To Create Money Peace
1. Admit to yourself that you acted outside of the agreements you had with your partner.
You have to accept responsibility with yourself that your action was outside of either a stated or implied agreement (we always recommend having explicit agreements about money choices.) Face the music. Say out loud to yourself, "I chose to XX and I know that my action was outside of our agreements/expectations of each other." 5 Ways To Make Your Marriage More Important Than Money EXPERT
Then take a deep breath (don't skip the breath, it’s important to releasing your own emotions!) Coming clean with yourself will feel good and erase some of the guilt or apprehension. You can’t be honest with your partner if you aren’t first honest with yourself.
2. Plainly and succinctly take responsibility with your partner and then tell them the facts.
This is not the time to go into some long story to justify your actions. Just own what you did, not with guilt but with honesty. First, ask for his/her attention to talk about something important. Second, state that you broke an agreement. And third, tell them the specifics. "Joe, I broke our agreement about making big purchases without talking to you about it. I bought XX today for $XX." Then, shut up.
3. Let your partner react.
