"The first time I cheated on my wife we ended up without a kitchen. Hi, my name is Scott, and I have committed financial infidelity." That's the first line in this book, and I didn't put it down until I read the whole thing. The authors are the real deal.
This year you may not be able to increase your salary and benefits, but you can increase your financial acumen. In the long run, that may be one of the best benefits you'll ever receive.
Bethany and Scott Palmer, "The Money Couple," have written a practical and timely guide to help couples with financial communication. Their unique idea: the root cause of money troubles is not a lack of money or budget systems, it is financial infidelity.
You'll learn about the five money personalities: Saver, Spender, Risk Taker, Security Seeker, and Flyer (as in flying by the seat of your pants). What's your personality? How about your spouse? What happens when Spenders marry Savers? (They explain and give amazing counsel.)
Bethany and Scott list the "Eight Simple Rules for Fighting Fair," including Rule #7: Expect to Blow It. "We certainly don't expect you to fight fair every time you argue--we don't."
"Financial infidelity can consume your relationship like a wildfire taking hold in a field of dry grass," they write. "You end up spending what seems like every single moment talking about money, fighting about money, crying about money. Or you stop talking about money altogether because it's just too painful." Their solution? "Consider this book a bucket of water you can use to douse the flames."
The Palmers recommend simple tools for fixing financial headaches: the Money Dump and the Money Huddle (a monthly meeting). Their resource-rich website, TheMoneyCouple.com, includes the Financial Relationship Index (FRI Survey), the Money Personalities Quiz, their blog and much more. Financial infidelity is the number one cause of divorce. Preserve marriages: your own and others. Buy this book for yourself, your friends and your colleagues at work.
