The Gutman Group

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You may talk about the virtues of living the life of a bachelor all you want and how there is no one to nag at you for having a diet consisting of beer and pizza pops. You may recite the virtues of spending the majority of your day meandering about in dirty underwear while releasing loud sounds from various crevices of your body and then giggle about it – you’re still going to get married.

You may rue this day all you want but it is inevitable. How else are you going to continue your legacy if not through little Neanderthals running about and breaking everything in sight and screaming at the top of their lungs (a.k.a. children)?

Just look on the bright side, no longer will you have to scour the dark and dingy bars and night clubs of the world, looking for your sexual fix as it is but a few feet away from you at all times…for the first few years anyway until the mere sight of your partner throws you into an epileptic seizure of self pity – thank goodness for divorce lawyers.

Of course, any situation will always have its positives and it will always have its negatives – what really separates those of us that always have a smile plastered on their faces versus those that consider hanging themselves on a bi-weekly basis is what these people do to mitigate the negative aspects of whatever situations they are in… That’s where I come in.

Money: the leading cause of disagreements in all marriages

Did you know that money is the leading cause of disagreement in all marriages?

According to the relationship guidance organization Relate, money trumps disagreements over sex, untidiness, disciplining children, housework and parents and friends.

If you’re married, then this fact probably isn’t very shocking to you. How many times have you ever argued over how you can’t afford that last stupidly expensive purchase your partner just made or simply attacked the other for not making enough money?

There is only one way to fix this dilemma…

Money: the greatest answer to disagreements in all marriages

Do you know what would fix all of these money-related problems? Having more money.

Think about it; never again will your wife beat you with a frying pan for spending the kids’ college fund on a big screen plasma TV, never again will you nag at your wife for maxing out the credit card on a plethora of indiscernible purses and shoes, and never again will you have to indefinitely put off another family vacation because you have to work extra hours at a job that you hate so you can pay off the mortgage.

Yes, money solves all problems. Then again, money creates new problems, such as the question of how are you going to make more money?

It’s a simple question and one that has a plethora of answers – most of which require large amounts of work to be put in to them, something that many of us simply aren’t willing to do.

Thankfully I have a much simpler solution: we can simply study the main causes of disagreements over the subject of money and by knowing the causes of our violent fits of screaming and bad-mouthing we can avoid them altogether. Quite ingenious, no?

The problems and solutions to disagreements over money

Cause: Handling the money

In a typical household situation, one member is usually left responsible for maintaining the myriad of bills, mortgage payments, investments and everything else left to do with money for the household while the other watches TV while slurping from a can of beer. This can be extremely stressful and the person for whom the burden falls on can feel as if he/she is doing all the work.

Solution: Handle the money together

When two people are handling the finances together, life suddenly becomes infinitely easier. First of all, there are no feelings of resentment towards the other person and secondly the workload has just been cut in half. And if you are reading this and you are the one who mooches off of your partner, just think about it this way: less work = less stress = less nagging = more energy = more “fun” = everyone wins.

Cause: Attitudes towards money

What if you’re one of those people who doesn’t see the value in hoarding all your money and prefers to actually get some use out of it via the latest and greatest gadget or the hottest and most stylish minx fur coat there is? Now, what if your partner is a frugal little man/woman who insists on getting his/her own haircuts because in order to save a few bucks? Well, expect many imminent arguments.

Solution: Discuss your attitudes and set a budget

First and foremost, discuss the way you both feel about money, debt, spending and future plans. Maybe if you explain the way you feel to your partner they will understand you better, perhaps you can might get lucky and turn them over to the Dark Side.

Once you do that, set a budget and follow it. Consider it like a limit; by knowing each other’s attitudes towards money, you can set realistic budgets for the household and then you can track who hasn’t been (budget) faithful. After this the name of the game is: discuss, discuss and discuss some more.

Cause: Not enough money

Sometimes after all is said and done and screamed about, the reality is that you’re simply not making enough money to sustain your living. It happens, a lot. And there will be arguing, guaranteed.

Solution: Make more money

Now, I did say earlier that the answer to all of life’s problems is also the cause of it, since by finding the solution to your problem of not making enough money, which is to make more money, new problems arise of how to actually make more money – and you will have to work for it.

So, you’re going to have to ask yourself, are you willing to work for your money? If not, then find a way to live within your means, on the other hand, if you are willing to work then you are in luck my friend! There is nothing than I love more than showing people how to make more money. So, how can you make more money?

1. Work more hours –If you work at a place that gives you over time then you can simply work more hours – it’s simple, but it sucks but it’s the sad truth;
2. Negotiate a higher salary – if you honestly believe that you should be working more than gather up all of the accomplishments you have made in the near past along with earnings that resulted from your money-making escapades and throw it in your boss’s face. If you are able to prove that you deserve a higher salary, you will get it;
3. Work from home – blogging, data entry, customer service representative, mystery shopping, surveys, kidney harvesting, there are a plethora of ways you can make money from home – this article can help you out;
4. Start your own business – have a great business idea that you’ve been putting off for no apparent reason other than laziness? Well, maybe it’s time to get on that;
5. Stocks – there’s nothing that I love more in this world than counting all the sacks of cash that I made from the stock market. Read my free eBook to help get you started and then look at The BAG Fund for inspiration.

In Parting

Most problems arise from mis-communication – everyone has their own thoughts and feelings and naturally assumes the other person should understand when that clearly is not the case. So, make the other person understand! It’s quite simple really.

There will always be problems when it comes to marriage; my guess is that the couples who can work through their problems are the ones who won’t be working with divorce lawyers. Whenever you find yourselves fighting over anything, especially about money, just talk it over. You can thank me after (preferably in the form of a very heavy cheque).

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