Money Matters

The Dollar Almighty?

Like the flag, the cross, or a kiss, money is a powerful symbol. Having it can mean security, status, comfort, freedom, control, and acceptance. The lack of it can mean fear, depression, inferiority, guilt, and anxiety.

Discuss the following question together:

· What are your individual attitudes on money?
· How has your experience in your own families of origin formed your individual attitudes?
· How will money matters be handled in your marriage? (Who will keep the checkbook? Do the banking? Make investment decisions?)
· How are you going to communicate about money? When crises arise? At set intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)?
· Will you share your money with others? How? How much? When?

Two Incomes
Most couples getting married today have two incomes. You need to discuss if this will always be the case in your marriage. Might you decide to go to a single income when children arrive or in order for one of you to attend school or for some other reason? If so, then you need to plan for that change now. Will you enjoy the benefits of two incomes on a short-term basis or will you save the "extra" money you earn now for later?

Three Couples to Pity
Couple #1: Believe time is money. They know the price of everything but the value of nothing. They would sell their souls for the right price. They are dead in spirit years before they have the good grace to lie down.

Couple #2: Believe the world owes them a living. They seem to despise work and have no realization that humans are called to contribute to the ongoing creation of the universe. They are parasites - sometimes attractive, intelligent, or highly entertaining - but parasites nonetheless.

Couple #3: Have good intentions but are undisciplined an unreflective. They fall prey to every desire excited in them by advertisers and the media, They overstretch their credit, overestimate their earnings, underestimate their bills, and never dream of planning or budgeting.

Possess or Be Possessed
The things you possess can possess you. They can claim your time and effort in paying for them, as well as sap your emotional and physical energy worrying about them, protecting them, caring for them. They can fill your imagination with dreams of how to get more of them.

The first fruit of true freedom is poverty
of spirit
of detachment,
of schooling yourself in not wanting everything

If you are truly in love, your love for each other will want to burst out of your relationship - like new wine in old wineskins. You will want to give, not take. The best gift you can give is yourselves - your time, your interest, your talents - to projects, to works of compassion, to worthy causes. Nor can you ignore your treasure (however meager it may be at the moment)! If you are truly thankful for the blessing of your love, you will want to share your possessions with those less fortunate than you. Give as if your marriage depended on it. It does.

Copyright - 1992 Augsburg Fortress

The Dollar Almighty?

Like the flag, the cross, or a kiss, money is a powerful symbol. Having it can mean security, status, comfort, freedom, control, and acceptance. The lack of it can mean fear, depression, inferiority, guilt, and anxiety.

Discuss the following question together:

· What are your individual attitudes on money?
· How has your experience in your own families of origin formed your individual attitudes?
· How will money matters be handled in your marriage? (Who will keep the checkbook? Do the banking? Make investment decisions?)
· How are you going to communicate about money? When crises arise? At set intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)?
· Will you share your money with others? How? How much? When?

Two Incomes
Most couples getting married today have two incomes. You need to discuss if this will always be the case in your marriage. Might you decide to go to a single income when children arrive or in order for one of you to attend school or for some other reason? If so, then you need to plan for that change now. Will you enjoy the benefits of two incomes on a short-term basis or will you save the "extra" money you earn now for later?

Three Couples to Pity
Couple #1: Believe time is money. They know the price of everything but the value of nothing. They would sell their souls for the right price. They are dead in spirit years before they have the good grace to lie down.

Couple #2: Believe the world owes them a living. They seem to despise work and have no realization that humans are called to contribute to the ongoing creation of the universe. They are parasites - sometimes attractive, intelligent, or highly entertaining - but parasites nonetheless.

Couple #3: Have good intentions but are undisciplined an unreflective. They fall prey to every desire excited in them by advertisers and the media, They overstretch their credit, overestimate their earnings, underestimate their bills, and never dream of planning or budgeting.

Possess or Be Possessed
The things you possess can possess you. They can claim your time and effort in paying for them, as well as sap your emotional and physical energy worrying about them, protecting them, caring for them. They can fill your imagination with dreams of how to get more of them.

The first fruit of true freedom is poverty
of spirit
of detachment,
of schooling yourself in not wanting everything

If you are truly in love, your love for each other will want to burst out of your relationship - like new wine in old wineskins. You will want to give, not take. The best gift you can give is yourselves - your time, your interest, your talents - to projects, to works of compassion, to worthy causes. Nor can you ignore your treasure (however meager it may be at the moment)! If you are truly thankful for the blessing of your love, you will want to share your possessions with those less fortunate than you. Give as if your marriage depended on it. It does.