Wife-in-progress Mary B about discussing money with her hubby Etienne:
“Why is money such a big deal in marriage? Because even if you keep your finances separate – like us – one partner’s saving and spending habits still affects the other. And even though you may love one another, your ideas of cash well saved and spent are likely quite different.”
Sarah Britten about the tough journey to her #SoMuchAmaze second wedding:
“January 18, 2008, was when it all started going really, really wrong. That was the day my mother-in-law died suddenly in our kitchen from heart arrhythmia. Two months later, I got a job offer in Australia. In the first week of May, I moved to Sydney and lived alone for seven months while my husband, an only child, wound up his mother’s estate. In November that year, I was made redundant. The following April, I returned to South Africa. My marriage, already taking strain, hit the rocks the moment I landed.”
#LoveChange blogger competition winner Scott Dunlop about the failure of his first marriage:
“We’d bicker about money. That was mostly down to my inability to talk about it openly. I felt a strange sense of guilt and inadequacy about it, and I’d avoid any discussions about how to resolve money problems. We took out a bigger bond to cover our costs of living. Imagine buying groceries with a loan that would take 25 years to pay off. My immaturity towards money wasn’t the reason for the collapse of our relationship, but it certainly contributed to the accumulated stress.”
Cath Jenkin about dealing with her first mini-money crisis since moving in with her partner:
“Leaning. The one thing I have never, ever been able to do without being left to feel like I owed someone a favour or that I was forever tagging along in a shadow of debt. In fact, it took me nearly a full year before I even let P carry my groceries, much less make sure the household was taken care of. But, there it was. I needed to lean.”
Stacey Vee, about marriage as a 50-year commitment:
“Why do we get married, not knowing what the future could hold? In our case the future held a disabled child, and a black streak of unemployment woes – and we are just eight years in. I feel a bit hysterical when I ponder what the great roulette wheel of life still holds in store for us, as a couple, over the next 42 years. Will we become victims of violent crime? Will one of us get wiped out in a car accident? Will there be a zombie apocalypse?”
Personal finance writer Letitia Watson about the importance of financial planning for newlyweds:
“When you get married and are planning a life together, ask yourself this question: Do we have a competent financial planner or adviser? Someone who will look at the bigger picture and our wealth building in the longer term? A good financial planner will help you to invest for life. There is no better time to start saving before you have the responsibility of children and the longer you invest, the greater the impact of the compound interest you will earn on these savings. You can still have a good time as a young couple, but you need a financial road map to build wealth.”
Mandy Collins about the importance of antenuptial contracts:
“Having an antenuptial contract in place ensures that you and your spouse are seen as separate legal entities, which means you are protected from your spouse’s creditors. So, for example, if you are married in community of property, and one of you has a gambling problem and runs up huge debts, spouses would be jointly responsible for paying back those debts. An ANC will protect both of you against that.”
Maya Fisher-French on how much money couples should spend on their weddings:
“So this young couple, who have dreams of buying their first home and starting a family, will begin their married lives by spending anywhere between R130 000 – R170 000 just to tie the knot – and these are moderate numbers, the costs could easily be double. My money orientated brain can’t help thinking that this equates to a 10% deposit on a R1.3 million home or if invested would grow to R500 000 within ten years. That is assuming the young couple actually had R150 000 to start with.”
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