My top 10.
I mess up occasionally. But I learn fast.
- Marry up. Actually, my wife and I were poor when we married. Figured we could live on love alone. Almost proved it. But we both had a focus not to stay that way. To do what it takes. And we have. And still love.
- Team up. My wife and I make a great team. I’m an entrepreneur and investor. She’s the manager. I venture. She consolidates. Formidable. And the personal part is even way more fun.
- Look up. She and I have the same goals financially. To be honest, she spends money, shall we say, way more easily than I do. So I help us save. And she helps us have more fun along the way. Best of both worlds.
- Smarten up. Neither of us buys anything on credit, with 2 exceptions. Our house. And cars for 0% interest. Other than that, no payments. We’ve been told we’re lucky. Hmm, I guess we are.
- Save up. When we were poor we put a little aside every month in IRA’s. Through the last recession, we funded our 401k’s. Today we max them out. Saving comes out automatically. Never sees daylight or Macy’s.
- Invest up. I’m more aggressive. She’s more conservative. We talk through our strategies. She trusts me to make it happen. I trust her to bring all the pieces into order. Then we talk about having fun.
- Shut up. Sometimes I mess up. I’ve made some investing mistakes. Occasionally, she’s missed on managing. We discuss it. Learn from it. Shut up about it. Move on. Hey, we get a fresh new day today.
- Share up. From the time we were married, we always gave money. To our church and other non-profits. The bills still got paid. We felt good. And the good we sent out, somehow, always circled back.
- Give up. Some investments you have to let go. They just don’t work. But we never gave up on our dream. We’ve taken some detours to get back on the highway. But hey, it’s the scenic route.
- Lighten up. Sometimes you just have to laugh. Somethings go well. Some, well, not so much. But this is life. No dress rehearsals. So we’ve learned to enjoy the journey. Together. And that’s the best part.
So as I look back, I recognize more each day my greatest financial habit.
Not blowing marrying up.
Your smartest financial habit can be nurturing the relationship with your spouse.
