Marriage Oneness – Money

How did you do with our last Marriage Oneness topic, conflict resolution?  I hope you picked up some good tips and tricks so you can put them to work as we go through our next subject, Marriage Oneness - Money.One plug that I feel is worthy of noting before we get much further is if you and your spouse have not been through Financial Peace University I highly recommend it.  You can go here and look on the left hand side to find a class near you.  Plus, if you have been through the class before you can go back through it free!Let’s look to our guides, Tim and Lea Lundy, for some tips and tricks to handle money properly within marriage;Major Money Mistakes That Couples Commonly Make

• Living a consumptive lifestyle
  • Statistics show the more TV you watch the more your consumption of goods goes up
• Excessive credit card debt
  • Families average $9,000 in credit card debt
• Unwise car purchase
  • New cars lose 30% of their value in the first year
• The non-existent budget
  • Otherwise none as an emotional budget. "I want this!"  "I feel like we can afford this."
• A lack of savings
  • 47% of Americans can't afford to pay cash for a $400.00 emergency

The Bible and Money 

• There are 2,300 references in the bible about money and possessions
• Four major money themes in scripture
  • Spending Money
    • Ecclesiastes 5:19 - To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God. (NET)
  • Saving Money
    • Seek to live on 80% of your household income.  Tithe 10% while also putting atleast 10% into a Roth, 401K or IRA which is invested in Growth, Growth and Income, Aggressive Growth, and International mutual funds.
  • Giving Money
    • Proverbs 11: 24-25 - One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but another withholds more than he should and comes to poverty. A generous person will be enriched, and the one who provides water for others will himself be satisfied. (NET)
  • Borrowing Money
    • Proverbs 22:7 - The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave. (NIV)

Experiencing Oneness with Money

• You both must be committed to experience good money results
  • Create a budget together
  • When you need help or advice, be smart and ask for it!
    • Successful people seek out wise money advisers
• Good money management will energize oneness in your marriage
  • It will require you to use the other topics covered so far here on paradigm shift; The Oneness Factor, Communication, and Conflict Resolution.

As always we here at Paradigm Shift are here to help.  If you have any financial questions feel free to comment below or reach out to us through our Contact Us feature.  Your information will remain private and confidential.