If You Are Young And In A Relationship You’re Probably Stressed About Money

It goes without saying that money (having it, not having it, how it gets spent) puts a lot of stress on a relationship. Apparently, though, it’s young couples in particular who are feeling financial stress. According to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll and Ally Bank, which polled 1,400 American adults who are either married or in a serious relationship, money is their biggest issue. People between the ages of 18 to 54 were almost twice as likely to say that money was the biggest stress in their relationship compared to people in an older demographic. Between student loans, rising rents and everything in between, it’s not exactly shocking that younger couples are stressed about money, but that probably isn’t all that reassuring to those experiencing this stress. Plenty of research points to money being the leading cause of breakups, so it is best to get financial stress under control. Here are a few tips and tricks to dealing with money in a relationship so you can go back to fighting over what you are going to do on Saturday night and who is going to clean the bathroom this week.

1. Get Honest With Your Partner About Money

This is so important, but something so many couples fail to do, especially early on: talk about money. Consider it a life basic that needs to be explored just like if you want to have kids or where you want to live. Talk about how much you have in savings, how much debt you are in, and put all your cards on the table. It really will help.

2. Save As Much As You Can

This is advice that is so important, whether you are single, dating, married: learn how to save money. Make it a part of your life just like you do exercise and sleep. If you are someone who struggles to save, consider signing up for an app like Digit, which will automatically pull money from your checking account in small increments and help you save automatically.

3. Set Financial Priorities As A Couple

Do you want to buy a house? Retire early? Save up for a bucket list vacation? Talk about those priorities as a couple and make sure you on the same page. Then get to work making your dreams happen. Beyond saving, if you are in a serious enough relationship or married consider investing money in order to see a bigger return. If you are a novice investor, platforms like Betterment will help get you started, and manage your investments for you. Feature Image: Adam Katz Sinding/Le 21ème