Top Money-Related Issues That Lead to Divorce: Different Financial Goals
If our financial priorities and goals don't align, it can lead to tension and resentment.
“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”
Personal finance writer Andrea Woroch said, "If you don't identify major shared goals–– like buying a home or travelling to an exotic new place— it can create problems down the line since you won't be working simultaneously to save toward the same goals.”
In our family, we’ve structured our aspirations into three distinct timelines. That’s why we have long-, medium-, and short-term goals. It’s where we want to be and what we want to achieve in 5 to 10 years, this year, and this month, respectively.
We constantly communicate to ensure we’re always aligned. If there are moments of divergence in our goals, we seize the opportunity to reflect, reassess, and potentially refine our objectives.
We believe in the power of dialogue— constantly engaging in discussions that delve into our aspirations, concerns, and strategies.
Each month, we convene to examine our budget, ensuring we are clear on the inflows and outflows of income and expenses, respectively.
We also have quarterly meetings to discuss our medium-term goals in depth. We take this time to recalibrate our targets if necessary.
At the turn of each year, we set aside time to reflect on our journey thus far and chart the course for the upcoming months.
All these conversations are not in vain. They’re pivotal, helping us understand each other better and allowing us to incorporate each other into the decision-making process.
It can't be down to one person. Individual ownership of goals isn't an option.
If a goal was set and one of us and the other left out of the decision-making and goal-setting process, that person would have resentment towards that goal and may be less likely to be fully committed to helping follow through.
We recognise that genuine partnership means co-creating our path forward. In our union, every aspiration is a shared endeavour nurtured by mutual respect and collaboration.
By balancing our individual aspirations and joint goals, we can avoid relationship problems and build a solid foundation for our future together.
The Bottomline
The journey of shared finances mirrors life's path, where alignment in goals is paramount to avoid discord.
Through constant communication and mutual respect, we can harmoniously build our financial goals as a couple.
Our collective decision-making lets us forge a resilient foundation for our future together, ensuring our unity in shared purpose.
Know more about the top money-related issues leading to divorce here.
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