Now that we have touched on honesty and how that relates to something like spending $200 on a purse, this takes us straight to the topic of FINANCES!! One of our favorite topics…Not!! Finances should be on our self-analysis list. You should be financially responsible and this should be one of your requirements in a prospective spouse.

Do you budget your money wisely? Money problems are one of the top causes of divorce, even longtime friendships can come to a devastating end over money. A marriage ending over money is even more devastating, and certainly more costly.

Financially responsible doesn’t mean that either of you have to be millionaires before you get married. It doesn’t mean you have to have $50,000, $60,000 or one hundred thousand dollars in the bank, but what it does mean is that you both have a proper view of financial responsibility.

Ask yourself this question, if my utility bill is two hundred dollars and I only have one hundred and fifty dollars, do I pay the one hundred and fifty dollars and arrange to pay the remainder at a later date, or do I say, “well, I don’t have the two hundred dollars, so I might as well buy a new outfit or tickets to a sporting event”? Are you the person who spends your money on your wants, and then borrow from others to pay for your needs? These are serious questions that demand serious and truthful answers.

Are you dating a person who is borrowing from you on a regular basis? If so, RED FLAG ALERT!! Someone isn’t budgeting money wisely. You have to take off the rose colored glasses and see things for what they are before you say “I DO”. You must be on the same page when it comes to finances. You don’t have to be rich, but you both need to be wise money managers.

There is nothing romantic about one spouse losing sleep at night trying to figure out how to make the mortgage payment while the other spouse has a secondary address on Shopping Mall Drive, going from store to store saying, CHARGE!!

Being a wise steward of your finances, being honest and trustworthy, allows a person’s heart to safely trust and love you.  This brings up another important question that you should ask yourself, are you safe to love?