Por Charlestien Harris
Love is in the air, and February 14th is approaching fast! This day is known for expressing love by giving a box of chocolates, Valentine's cards, and flowers. A recently released Money Habits and Confessions Survey, conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of LearnVest, suggests that one in five Americans has never had a serious conversation about finances with their significant other. So, I hope you will consider another gift of love that can really help your relationship this Valentine's Day: initiating a conversation about your finances.
It's important to realize that talking to your spouse or loved ones about money can be difficult, but you're not alone. Not sure where to start? Let's take a look at some ways you can initiate that money conversation and show some love for your money, your spouse, or a loved one!
- Programa tu conversación sobre el dinero con antelación. Whether you're planning a money talk with your partner, your parents, or someone else you share financial responsibilities with, it really helps to plan the date, the time, and the place. When financial pressures and problems are present, they can manifest as fear, avoidance, anger, embarrassment, and anxiety – a range of emotions and feelings that can hinder or shut down a conversation before it even gets started. Bringing up the "money" topic when someone isn't expecting it can increase anxiety even more and may spur anger, defensiveness, and cause the other person involved to shut down completely.
- Comparte tu historia de dinero. Después de pensar detenidamente dónde y cuándo quiere programar esta charla, un segundo gran paso es empezar compartiendo su historia sobre el dinero. Una historia de dinero son sus creencias, emociones y significados que forman todas sus decisiones sobre el dinero. Su historia del dinero es su propia narrativa financiera personal y profunda que se forma en la infancia, normalmente a partir de los 2 años y hasta los 20 años. Tu historia personal y única ha creado tu relación actual con el dinero. El mero hecho de sentarse a conversar sobre su historia en relación con el dinero puede crear un vínculo que les ayude a entenderse mejor el uno al otro en lo que respecta a la forma en que cada uno de ustedes maneja el dinero.
- Comparte tus sueños y objetivos financieros. Just knowing your dreams as well as your loved one's dreams and financial goals will keep you connected to a shared vision and motivate you to save for the future. In fact, if you have not had this discussion about your dreams and financial goals together, you're probably not seeing much progress financially. This is a great opportunity to share your heart with your spouse or loved one to set some short-term and long-term goals. What better way to show love than to consider what each of you is considering and plan toward that common financial goal, whether it be short-term or long-term. Talking and being on the same page about your financial future or being open about sharing certain numbers (like income, expenses, and retirement goals) are important parts of the money conversation.
- Aprended a ganar dinero juntos. In keeping with the spirit of the celebration of February as the month of love, as a couple, you can get "money smart" together. Most times, as a financial counselor, I often see a dynamic where one partner takes care of every aspect of the family finances. That could be good if one or the other is extremely savvy with handling the money. But, when you're both connected into the details, you're equally in the loop and involved enough to make joint decisions about money issues that affect both of you and the family as a whole. Updating your knowledge together is a good idea because it will help you grow as a team.
- Organicen juntos sus finanzas. ¡Juntos es mejor! Teniendo esto en cuenta, quizá quiera explorar formas de hablar de dinero con su pareja que sean eficaces y útiles. Centraos en discutir cuáles de vuestros recursos y facturas se mantienen separados y cuáles se combinan juntos. Las parejas tienen formas distintas de organizar sus finanzas: algunas lo mantienen todo separado y viven como compañeros de piso, otras lo combinan todo y otras acuerdan alguna combinación de ambas cosas. Cuando se mantienen abiertas las líneas de comunicación, es más fácil resolver los conflictos relacionados con el dinero. También puedes ir un paso más allá y establecer un sistema de gestión del dinero. ¿Vas a utilizar programas informáticos o aplicaciones? Deberíais tener algún sistema acordado para gestionar vuestras finanzas conjuntas. Además, decidid quién es responsable de pagar ciertas facturas, las deudas existentes o los impuestos. Averiguar quién es bueno en qué cuando se trata de dinero puede desempeñar un papel importante a la hora de mantener una conversación amorosa fluida y fácil. Al dividir las tareas, también puedes asegurarte de que cubres todas las bases financieras.
- Aprende a celebrar tus éxitos. I have found that some people don't start talking about finances with their spouse or loved ones because they believe these types of conversations are all about addressing financial problems. That is not always the case. It's important to celebrate your successes along the way to keep the focus positive. Regular conversations help you work as a team and reach shared goals so you can live a greater and more satisfying financial life. We all deserve to achieve a life filled with inner peace, support, and financial success – especially filled with love!
Learning how to talk about money with your loved ones in a way that is open and honest can be challenging, but it is essential to a solid "love" relationship. Healthy communication during money conversations is a skill that can be practiced and developed when the proper time is allocated to making sure the conversation is structured so it includes everyone involved. Seeking a professional who can provide you with the support you need and deserve to develop a healthy "love your money" relationship can be as easy as visiting the HUD website at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/hcc/housing_counseling.
Para más información sobre este y otros temas financieros, visite nuestro blog en banksouthern.com/blogenvíeme un correo electrónico a [email protected]o llámame al 662-624-5776.
Hasta la semana que viene: ¡manténgase en forma desde el punto de vista financiero!
