How to Stop Fighting Over Money

You Have Debt

Why you fight: Dragging around debt always causes stress, especially if you can’t afford to pay it off–or if you disagree with your partner on whether to save your cash for a rainy day or pay off your outstanding balances.

How to stop: One of the easiest ways to alleviate the situation is to tackle that debt. Either way, schedule a time to sit down, crunch the numbers (how much debt you have, what kind it is, how much savings you have, how much you each earn), and decide what’s realistic.

The bottom line: You have to talk about your priorities; you might define security as being debt-free, whereas your partner feels safer with a hefty savings account. Once you know where the other is coming from, it will be easier to agree on an approach.