Even in a perfectly healthy relationship, a discussion about money can quickly turn into a fight about money.
In fact, money is thetop cause of most relationship arguments.
To keep your financial conversations calm and collected, avoid basement thinking.
Basement thinkinghappens when youre in a bad place emotionally, making you automatically defensive about everything.
You may interpret everything your spouse says as an attack.
Really, this pop in of thinking can ruin any topic of discussion, not just money.
But basement thinking comes easier with money, because theres usuallyso much emotionattached to those conversations.
Maybe youre worried about paying next months mortgage.
Maybe youre afraid you and your spouse wont have enough saved for retirement.
Maybe you cant afford to save as much as your spouse, and youre resentful.
Worry, fear and resentment are pretty common emotions when dealing with money.
The higher our energy, the higher our thinking and the better the potential outcome.
But that cant happen if we let basement thinking sabotage the conversation.
Its a concept Ive dealt with in my own relationship.
Richards has more insight on this, check out his full post.
The Wrong Place and Time to Have a Money Conversation| The New York Times
Photo bykabladesch.
