Money and Marriage: Can Spenders and Savers Co-exist?

To begin, couples should partake in some exercises to assess priorities.Financial exercisesRobert Laura, partner at Synergos Financial Group, recommends that couples list all of their expenses and prioritize them.The exercise highlights which person values saving over going to the movies or buying new clothes."Should Internet connection for your computer be ahead of saving for your kid's college or your retirement? That's up in the air, but you just want to know what page the other person is on," Laura says.Another exercise couples can do: Categorize expenses into wants, needs and goals."Instead of focusing on dollar amounts, look at what this expense is really for," says Laura.Sorting out real goals and values will make it easier to cancel the cable and save for a house, or get rid of any of the other little wants that suck money away from achieving your dreams.Money talksThe trick to achieving long-term relationship bliss, at least in the realm of finances, comes down to communication.First, couples should have a designated time for talking about money."When you look at the online banking (statement) and see that your husband spent $300 at Home Depot without discussing it with you, there's a time and place you can bring it up. This will help you avoid daily money squabbles and also help you learn self control," says Kay. Next >Bankrate.com is the Web's leading aggregator of information on financial products including mortgages, credit cards, new and used automobile loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees. Visit Bankrate.com to get the tools and information that can help you make the best financial decisions.