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I showed Michael, and we agreed to give it a try.

We became determined to find out where our money was going. Because this program was designed to help us regain control of our finances—and set up our own categories for spending—we didn't feel it was as constricting as the budgets my dad had suggested.

"I never realized we ate out so much," Michael said to me as we went through old receipts to help us map out our spending plan. By uncovering "hidden" spending we were quickly able to regain control of our finances.

We now keep track of how much money we have, and we make sure the important things—such as bills—are paid first. By weighing our current expenses against our future goals (such as buying a house), we have the freedom to go out to dinner now and then, or even take a vacation, knowing we can actually afford to do it without stealing from our nest egg.

I no longer expect Michael to handle our finances alone. "I'm so relieved," he admitted when I approached him about balancing the checkbook and mapping out our budget together. "Now that we have a joint account there is so much more to keep track of. It will be easier if we work as a team."

Living within our means gives us a peace of mind that we didn't have in our first several months of marriage. Instead of creating tension, our finances now unite us in our common goals of spending wisely, giving generously, and saving for our future.

Our marriage—and our bank account—are a lot better for it.

Been married five years or less and have an issue, challenge, adjustment, or rant about marriage? Tell us about it! We'll pay $150 for each story that's featured in this column. Send it to: Starting Out at mp@marriagepartnership.com.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Marriage Partnership magazine. Click here for reprint information on Marriage Partnership.

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