9 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MARRIAGE HEALTHY

Day 2:  Have a financial plan

 

Nearly 40 percent of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, according to a 2004 poll, and money woes can quickly send your marriage south. In fact, money is the number-one reason couples fight, and relationships tend to suffer during poor economies. You should discuss and agree upon some hard financial ground rules, preferably before you tie the knot.
Don't fret if you're a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies.
"It's probably not a good thing to have the exact same philosophy about money, " says Ken Robbins, M.D., a clinical professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin--Madison. "But financial issues are best to resolve early on. You want to decide who is going to pay the bills, how much discretionary spending is reasonable, and how you're going to keep track of it all."