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It wasn't easy for the spender in our relationship to get into the budget habit. We had some harrowing take-offs and hit turbulence while in flight. Initially, we went off and on our budget, struggling one month, doing it right the next. I'd blow up when he came home with a used VCR that worked great and only cost $25 because he didn't check the Consumer Guide first! No, it certainly wasn't clear skies, but with prayer and perseverance we found balance, and peace once again reigned in our home. That is, until we had five children in seven years, but that's another, very long story.

If financial health is on the list of goals for your marriage, then the following tips can help you establish a working outline for your budget. With a little creativity, prayer, and some hard work, you can aim high and fly with the best.

Hey, where did all the dough go? Begin your budget discussion when you are both relaxed. Breathe in, breathe out. Now that you're relaxed, you can create your own budget worksheet by writing the following general categories see below:

Tithe-10%
Savings-10%
Clothing/Dry Cleaning-5%
Education/Misc-5%
Food-10%
Housing/Utilities/Taxes-30%
Insurance-5%
Medical/Dental-4%
Recreation/Vacation/Gifts-6%
Transportation-15%

The percentages and categories offered are only a guideline.

Make three vertical columns beside the categories and title them: (1) Current Spending, (2) Spending Percentages Recommended, and (3) Actual Budget. Fill in the first column by figuring the average spent in each category for the last six months. Establish your total monthly income and fill out the second column based on the percentages given in the guideline. Leave the third column blank for now.

Bringing home the bacon. The bacon is household income after state and federal income taxes and social security. Income includes salary, rent collected, interest gained, dividends received, income tax refunded, and other sources of regularly collected money. However, income does not include loose change found under sofa cushions. That would be considered a "windfall"—unless your last name is Trump. Enter the total on the bottom line of your budget worksheet, under all of your expenses.

He said, she said. "I think we're doing all right!" he says. "I think we're doing pretty lousy!" she says. Now, is a good time to decide where you truly are in your finances. It's hard to argue with the facts on the paper. Take your net income and subtract your current spending to establish your overall spending pattern. Are you spending more (through credit) than you make? Did you realize you're buying $243.78 worth of pizza each month? Are there unexplained gaps in your current spending levels? Do you tithe? Did you realize that you frequented the ATM machine that much?

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