Financial Intelligence
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The current statistics indicate that one out of every three marriage will end in divorce. If you are a mathematics student, you will know that that is a 33.33 percent chance that your marriage may end up amongst those which will end in divorce.

Now I do not know about you but I do not want my marriage to be just another statistic. But saying so or simply wishing it is not enough – I need to do things to make it happen and that is what this article is all about.

The top 2 causes of divorce are infidelity and poor financial decisions (also known as, Sex & Money). And now that you are about to become married, you need to know that setting a loving and wise tone to your relationship early on by following sensible financial tips and advice cannot be over emphasized.

While you may find some of these advice too radical, it is nonetheless effective in ensuring that you acquire financial intelligence. They are tried and tested and proven to work in many marriages including mine. They work for couples of various ages – young and old alike.

Number 1 – Where Does the Money Go To?

The first place to begin is by finding out what you spend your money on the most. Once you have established that, you then need to ask yourselves if what you are spending your money on is a need or simply a want.

Needs are things which you cannot do without – things which your life may depend on like food, shelter, and so on. Wants, on the other hand, are mostly feel good stuff which are really frivolous and can (should) be done away with if you need to be financially smart. Examples of these include, but are by no means limited to, the following; buying new clothes weekly, purchasing chocolate bars daily, and so on.

Number 2 – Dispense With the Credit Cards

When you purchase things, ensure that you do so using cash. The reason for this is because when you spend using your credit card, you actually do not feel the money leaving due to the fact that it is money you are yet to earn.

But when you pay with cash, you actually feel the money leaving you. You feel the expense and that can act as a deterrent which should give you more pause and make you more financially accountable – not to mention the deliverance from debt which you will enjoy.

Number 3 – The Importance of Savings Cannot Be Over Emphasized

Savings may have been over flogged and made to be something common but it, nevertheless, is still as effective as ever. If you aim to start your marriage financially smart, then you must save your hard earned money. Read this excerpt I found on the Internet;

“I know a couple who paid off 15,000 dollars of school debt and loans in the first year of their marriage and still saved money on top of that to pay for a master’s degree programme. Another couple saved 24 thousand dollars their first year and still have that same amount in cash savings ten years later. They leveraged it to buy four different houses and are building wealth in real estate.”

Amazing right? I guess that makes my point.