Kevin and I have *finally* merged all of our finances! After living as a single lady for three years, it is nice to have a joint income for once.
During our marriage counseling sessions at church, our pastor asked how we view money. It was a really great question (not one many people think about, unfortunately) and made us think critically about how we want to manage our money. We decided to view money as a tool, rather than something to get rid of as quickly as possible. Not knowing we both already read it, our pastor recommended that we pick up one of Dave Ramsey's books. You might call it cheesy, but his book is amazing and has changed our lives. Needless to say, we have been following his recommendations religiously.
For example, our personal spending money is allocated into envelopes each month. Kevin and I each get an envelope with a decided-upon-amount, and we can each use that for whatever that month--coffee drinks, eating out for lunch, clothes, video games, etc. Once the money is gone, you are done for the month. The theory is that seeing your money in the envelopes makes you spend less, and that has definitely held true so far. I have always lived by a written budget, but this system helps me stick to it so much more.
We are followers! :) I would highly, highly recommend Dave Ramsey's books to anyone.
