Whether your financial situation is better or worse, the cost of living and inflation make us all recalculate our course.
When everything becomes more expensive, from the mortgage to the prices of food in the supermarket, you have to make financial decisions and become more efficient.
It's just that there's a major problem that prevents us from doing it - we're just not used to talking about money, especially when it comes to our relationship.
So how do you break the taboo around economic discourse and create a common language?
Razap, the startup designed to help Israelis get out of the red, has prepared a guide for you with five simple steps that will help you do it.
Go through the history
Usually money only comes up when decisions need to be made, especially stressful decisions.
But there are so many things related to money that we don't get to talk about at all, even with our other half.
Think about it: what was your partner's first job?
What did your partner think about money when he was little?
What does he really like to "spend" money on?
And what is the dream she always wanted to save for?
How many of these questions can you answer?
To build a joint financial future, it is useful to know the relationship and history of our partners with money, such as medical history.
Set common goals (say - making money) (Photo: ShutterStock)
Divide into categories and set common goals
to understand where you can be more efficient and save, you first need to understand where our money is going.
Which expenses are no longer necessary for us, which subscriptions have become more expensive and whether it is worth discounting them or simply giving them up.
The couple's economic discourse takes place on two levels: on the level of the shared vision and on the level of the daily practice that will lead to the realization of that vision.
But in order to be able to have this discussion at all, you should know how much money you spend and in which category.
This way you can make joint decisions together.
So how do you do it?
Go through your expenses in the last three months, sort them into categories and sort the categories into subsections.
For example fixed expenses, variable expenses and categories to track (eg clothing, pets or sports).
After you have built your current situational picture, set joint goals for savings and from there proceed to the executive part of the couple's plan.
regular routines
So you already have a common language, you know how much you spend on each category and you have even set goals.
All that remains is to execute the plan.
You can execute your plan in a number of ways, but the most effective way we know is to work in regular routines.
What does that mean?
Turn it into a kind of "financial date" - a regular meeting where you make decisions, divide tasks or draw conclusions.
This way you can track your progress and develop and enrich the conversation along the way.
Another method that will help you is to focus each month on one expense category and decide on changes and actions you want to perform.
For example, to reduce insurance or communication costs.
It works great, from experience.
Build positive momentum
To maintain a positive atmosphere and a good feeling, it is important to start small, especially if you are not used to talking and working together financially.
Don't immediately go for the big problems, on the contrary.
Choose a small goal for yourself, one that you can achieve in the next month.
Create positive momentum from small victories, and from there you will slowly progress to the more complex or controversial issues in your eyes.
Try it - it's fun (Photo: Giphy)
Play with it
Unlike money, which can scare us, play is a fun thing.
And more than that, it allows you a cool framework to operate and enjoy the shared process together.
After you have gone through the common steps, all that is left for you is to continue in the right direction.
It's just that at some point the initial enthusiasm wears off and the tasks you set for yourself become exhausting and boring.
If you turn your regular routines or tasks into a kind of game that needs to be won, you will be able to continue working together for a long time and you will introduce a fun and couple dimension to the conversation.
For example, if you decided to focus on a category each month, you can make a competition between the categories and see in which category you managed to save the most in percentages or decide that any savings over 10% of the cost of the category is dedicated to couple treats.
You can also compete among yourselves or challenge friends who also want to do a process at the same time (just to maintain a healthy competitive atmosphere huh?).
And that's how you start
Starting this coming Valentine's Day (February 14th) and for a month, Razap customers and new entrants will get access to the "MoneyMoon" program: a digital couple experience that will help couples open a new chapter in their relationship with money.
On 3 dates that will span 14 days, Roni Shinkman will guide the couples in a joint process that will give them both practical tools, and an opportunity to deepen the relationship and discover how money and romance can go hand in hand.
In case you were wondering, it's even free.
Sheee
Life in style
Tags
Of money
women
a relationship
relations