Money management and everything related to it is a topic to discuss before formalizing a relationship. Being clear and establishing transparent rules are the best options to avoid inconveniences that affect the couple's coexistence in the future. 

Managing money as a couple is a real test for any relationship. Communication turns out to be the perfect antidote to avoid any inconvenience related to this topic. “Talking about how much the other person earns and how much they contribute to the household is a topic that makes most people uncomfortable”, says psychologist Maria Elena Lopez. 

In fact, money is “The last great taboo of marriage” According to psychologist Corrine Sweet, author of the book 'Stop Fighting About Money', it is easier for couples to talk about sex than about money. 

For Jacquette Timmons, author of the book 'Financial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship with Your Money and Your Partner', there are four things you can do with it: earn it, save it, invest it or spend it. And she recommends that couples reconcile the management of their personal finances. Experts, including Timmons, suggest that on this subject we should always speak in the plural and not in the singular; it is easier to negotiate when we speak of "we" than when we speak of "you" or "I". 

The issue is more worrying when only one of the two works and the other assumes responsibilities in raising the children and the home; there, more than ever, the “we” prevails, because money is culturally related to power and control and if there is no clarity in this regard, it will play against the interests of the relationship. 

The Master in clinical and family psychology, Sandra Guzmán Rincón, recommends that, “It is important for couples to establish a space for conversation and understand that the fact that they do not contribute money to the home does not mean that the actions of care and dedication that are carried out within it are not vital and also require emotional recognition.” 

She also adds that a vicious circle of abuse cannot be created when this economic dependency exists: "The vicious circle occurs when economic dependence is seen as an imposition, in which whoever has the money has the power, then the integrity of the relationship is broken, since a dynamic of authority is established, which is not typical within a relationship between a couple." 

4 tips to better manage financial dependence in a couple: 

1. Recognizing each other as equals, understanding that both, regardless of the role they play in the relationship, are important and their contribution is vital for personal and couple growth, is key to leading a calm and trouble-free life, as the therapist explains. Ricarte Cortez.
2. Set long-term financial goals, although you must always keep your feet on the ground and know that you will not always be able to meet them, the psychologist recommends. Jose Antonio Garcia.  
3. To avoid unpleasant moments in this regard and as we have already seen, the main action is communication, discussing the issue before making any future decisions and being honest about the expectations that one has individually and that these are compatible with family plans. 
4. Knowing your partner's profile, that is, identifying who is the saver and who is the one who spends more, "Neither profile is bad, as long as it is not done to an extreme. You might think that saving is one of the best financial habits, but when you don't want to spend money on anything and you don't have a clear purpose for saving, it is in vain and can be as harmful as wasting money., explains the financial expert Ana Santillana. 

Economic issues are sensitive topics in various scenarios and life as a couple is no stranger to this, which is why Uruguayan psychologist Andrea Coppola recommends having “The possibility of creating spaces for dialogue and exchange leads to a healthy path in every sense. Sharing the truths of the history of the economy and work strengthens human relations and allows us to navigate life on a basis of trust, honesty, resilience and learning.”

Bibliographic sources:

• Weekly magazine
• Therapist Ricarte Cortez
• Dr. Jose Antonio Garcia