Before I even married the Hubby, he was a BIG fan of Dave Ramsey and had a knack for being frugal and money savvy. Good thing was, he married a lady who learned how to balance a checkbook since elementary age, and “splurging” involved trying to see how many cool things I could get at a garage sale for $10! But even with pretty good money-sense between the 2 of us, there can be those quarreling moments where my want to spend a tad-bit extra on a friend can be looked at as being out-of-step with the budget we planned out for the month.

It makes sense why, when going through premarital counseling, the discussion of money is HUGE, and pointed out time and time again as one of the top reasons arguments occur. So how do we avoid these said arguments, and be smarter in the big department of money management? Writer Sasha Brown-Worsham explains a few mistakes us women (and men at times) can make within marriage, and how to put the breaks on them now before it’s too late:

1.) Letting him handle all the bills: “Take a few on yourself. It’s a good idea for the marriage (even husbands get overwhelmed), but also good insurance that you are still on the ball, building credit in your name, and generally staying fresh.”

2.) Not looking at bank statements: “I cringe when I think of myself doing this. I was acting more like a daughter than a grown-up. Now I take responsibility for my spending and for his. We talk about our money and allocate funds better. We are a team and it also means we have more money since we are both keeping an eye out for strange charges and flawed billing in our account.”

3.) Not knowing how much he makes: “This seems crazy to me, but some women don’t know how much their man makes. This should NOT be a secret. These are joint budget decisions and both partners should be aware of how much there is available to spend.”

4.) Not keeping some for yourself: “Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a career woman who makes more than your husband, it’s a good idea to save some money for oneself. I totally don’t do this, but I need to. It’s not that I think I will get divorced, but it’s nice to not fight over his beer brewing hobby or my shoe collection. This would work well if we had separate piles of money. Some for him. Some for me. Perfect!”

5.) Lying about spending: “Let’s grow up ladies! Lying about how much things cost is immature and we are acting like children when we do so. Own up to purchases. Better yet, pick an amount — say $200. Below that you can spend without a discussion. Above that and BOTH of you need to consult the other. Done and done!”