Money and emotions are intertwined, and Conscious Spending for Couples: Seven Skills for Financial Harmony by Deborah Knuckey covers both topics with a unique blend of practical steps and psychological insights. The author of The Ms. Spent Money Guide explores how men and women feel about money, examines their different attitudes and beliefs, and lays out three rules, seven skills and four decisions to help balance the “mine, yours, and ours” goals.
Conscious Spending is an interactive book that uses practical quizzes, checklists and other resources to teach couples to become “conscious spenders.” Knuckey’s seven skills include planning together, getting help when you need it and creating a simple financial structure that both parties can follow. Then couples can tackle the four decisions: where you live, what you drive, whether you have children, when you retire. Knuckey stresses communication, noting that money has become a taboo topic that many people find hard to discuss, even in an intimate relationship. A perfect book for newlyweds or any couple mired in debate over whether to spend or save.
