Another Goal Accomplished

Posted on: May 11, 2009 by Matt

Originally uploaded by villinikon

As I have mentioned in the past – my girlfriend pretty much never ceases to amaze me (in a good way). Most recently she has managed to meet one of her financial goals by opening a savings account this month! Needless to say I am once again impressed and excited that she has met her goal (hence the public congratulations!)

So far this month we have both met goals that we have been hoping to accomplish for a while (as I paid off the balance on my credit card) and it feels pretty good. After all for each one of these individual goals that we accomplish we come one step closer to accomplishing some of our larger long term goals (like buying a house).

Additionally – I truly value the level of openness and communication in our relationship. In the past I have been unwilling to discuss finances with anyone and have largely held the attitude of yours and mine. Considering that two of the most commonly cited issues for the downfall of relationships are sex and money I think that the fact we can openly discuss issues is critical. Naturally we do not always see things the same way and the open dialogue allows us to often reach a point we are both happy with.

Overall – I believe that while in a relationship or marriage that communication and support of each other in all areas of life really sets you up for success. I know I struggle with it but find it invaluable when the two of us discuss our financial lives openly. So far I have discovered that we have (or at least I have) been able to use each other for:

Setting goals together, both individual and as a couple.
Assisting with reaching goals: I know she has supported me with reaching goals and hope that I have reciprocated adequately.
Looking at problems from other angles: Sometimes getting advise from somebody that has not been caught up in a mess is very helpful. I have found on a couple of occasions that I simply did not look at all alternatives (cause I didn’t think of them) or that I had not analyzed something through all that well – talking it out has helped.

Share and Enjoy: