There is always something, usually several things, that we want to buy for ourselves. Nowadays, I think about the message that my personal spending sends to my spouse—it tells my wife that I’m thinking about myself; I also think about the message that my saving sends to my spouse—it tells my wife that I’m thinking about us.

Each month I show my wife my checking and savings account registers. She sees how much I’ve spent and for what, and she sees how much I’ve saved. She appreciates my saving money for us—for taxes, for health insurance, for our future. Saving money, and showing your spouse that you’re saving money for your future together, strengthens the bonds between spouses, between partners.

Those who wish to read more about marriage and money may do so at the following webpages:

• WebMD’s “Managing Marriage and Money Problems,”
• Dave Ramsey’s “Money and Relationships,” and
• Money Magazine’s “Men, Women, & Money.”