Credit Cards and their Impact on Romantic Relationships
Sunday, December 16th, 2007Everybody knows that the two biggest things that couples fight about are sex and money. Trying to negotiate finances with another person can be an extremely difficult thing which causes emotions to flare up and problems to exist within otherwise loving relationships. Bring credit cards into the mix and you can exacerbate the problem beyond the point of reason. Couples who want to be able to last throughout the years need to learn to understand the impact that credit problems can have on their relationship so the problem can be nipped in the bud.
The biggest problem that credit card debt causes within relationships is stress. Debt causes monthly bills to increase which reduces the amount of spending money that a family has. When there isn’t enough money, there is stress. Stress in a relationship leads to fighting which in turns leads to a sense of disconnection between the two people. Left unchecked, this can cause the relationship to disintegrate entirely. To resolve the stress that is caused by credit card debt, couples must work together to reduce the debt down to a manageable size. This requires setting goals together and working together to achieve those goals. Without this agreement as a foundation the couple risks losing their relationship to the stress of financial burdens.
Even working together to manage the debt can cause problems. To pay off debt that has been accumulated, many couples find that they need to work more. This means that they are spending less time together. Relationships are built upon shared experiences. A lack of shared experiences over time can wreak havoc on a relationship.
You may each feel happy that you’re working to pay off your debt so that you can have a life together down the line, but if you neglect each other in the meantime then you risk the relationship. The key is to set aside some time (such as one night a week) that’s just to enjoy one another. Tell the boss that you can’t work on those days. Do things in your community that don’t cost money so that you can avoid additional debt.
Of course, debt isn’t the only way that credit cards can cause problems within relationships. Other types of problems can also arise. Disagreements on how money is spent are common. Concerns that an item seen on a credit card statement indicates that a spouse is cheating is another type of issue that comes up. Issues of mistrust may arise when one person doesn’t reveal the extent of their credit card use to the other. All of these types of issues are best resolved by addressing the underlying problems of trust, communication and problem-solving rather than making the credit cards the issue. Then you can use your credit cards for fun dates with your spouse so they work for your relationship instead of against it!
