People come into Houston marriage counseling all the time because they are arguing over money problems, and it’s gotten to the point where they just don’t know how to deal with it on their own. Sometimes these people are constantly fighting; other times they’re barely talking. Whatever the problem, somehow they came to the decision that they needed relationship therapy to fix their marriage.

What I have found amazing about most of these couple who argue over mony is that there are a million different specific things that they’re fighting about, but most of them end up really being about the same few things. But in order to realize that, we have to dig under the surface of each individual problem to discover the source.

Houston Marriage Counseling: Types of Money Arguments

I’ve dealt with many different money arguments in relationship therapy, but most of them fall into one of these categories:

You’re spending too much money. Your spouse argues that your spending is out of control, or that you buy pointless things that you don’t need. Sometimes, people buy things because they feel like they are missing something in another aspect of their life. Instead of going on shopping sprees, try spending more time together.

You’re a tightwad. Your spouse accuses you of never wanting to spend any money to the point that you refuse to ever go out or do anything fun, even though you have money in the bank. Holding on to money so tightly that you never do anything is often a fear-based reaction. While saving is good, saving everything is going a bit overboard.

You never talk to me about finances. Your spouse is tired of never knowing how much money you really have and keeping them in the dark. Locking your partner out of the finances is a way of maintaining control. Unfortunately, a relationship is about having a give and take, and if you refuse to talk to your partner about your financial situation, you’re creating an inequality that will cause problems.

You hid money from me. Your partner accuses you of earning or having more than you told them about, often involving hidden accounts. It doesn’t take an emotional detective to figure out that keeping money from your partner in this way indicates a lack of trust. Maybe you haven’t completely committed yourself to your relationship, or your partner did something to make you feel betrayed.

If you find yourself suffering from any of these problems and can’t manage to get through them yourself, check out Houston marriage counseling.