Help Yourself to Financial Intimacy
I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart. ~ E. E. Cummings
When you and your partner sit down to work through differences about money and finances, anything you can do to make the conversation less emotional and more rational is a good thing. We recommend couples read self-help books about money and relationships as one way of accomplishing that.Reading a book together, discussing the ideas, and relating them to your situation puts the topic, and the difficulty, "out there" instead of between the two of you; and it allows you to study money and finances as a team. Knowledge can validate each person's position and drive the conversation away from who's right (and who's wrong).Your discussion will be more focused, organized and logical as you explore the ideas and themes in the book, and then apply what you learn to your own situation. Doing this yourselves builds your financial intimacy, strengthens your relationship muscles and costs a lot less than therapy.Here are some of the books we highly recommend reading to learn about money and its impact on relationships:The Secret Meaning of Money: How to Prevent Financial Problems from Destroying Our Most Intimate Relationshipsby Cloé MadanesFinancial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship with Your Money and Your Mateby Jacquette M. TimmonsConscious Spending for Couples: Seven Skills for Financial Harmonyby Deborah KnuckeyMoney Harmonyby Olivia MellanWe would love to know what books you like about money and relationships on our Facebook page.Here's to your relationship,Lori and Bob Hollander
Lori Hollander, LCSW-C, BCD, and Bob Hollander, LCSW-C, JD, are licensed counselors and co-founders of Relationships Work, an innovative therapy practice and online resource center that gives couples 360 degrees of support for extraordinary partnerships. Sign up for Radical Relationships, a monthly eZine from Relationships Work, and receive Why Take the Journey to Extraordinary? absolutely free.