This last weekend the wifey and I went to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover event in Colorado Springs. We had been looking forward to it for quite a while. We went with friends (Jon and Tammi Williams), and we learned a lot.
The day before I went to the big event in the Springs, I began reading Money and Marriage by Matt Bell. Money and Marriage is a guide to personal finance for engaged and newly married couples, although I think the book would be helpful for couples of every age.
SUMMARY
Money and Marriage is broken up into three logically planned, sequential parts. The first part of the book encourages each member of a couple to examine their "financial dna". It challenges the reader to examine their personal financial history, the ways their families of orgin handled money, and how their cultural background effects their financial priorities. Suprisingly, it also asks readers to examine their personal tempraments, and how that effects how their financial attitudes and emotional issues with money.
Much of this section consists of lists of questions for couple's to discuss. As I read through the questions and answers I thought that I could use this resource in pre-marital counseling sessions with couples. This is true because it asked stellar financial questions, but also because the financial questions touched on so many other areas of life that couples need to communicate about.
The second part of book consists of ten brief chapters to insure a couple's financial success as they begin their lives together. I like that these chapters are brief and to the point. Although these chapters are not heavy-handed, they are direct advice and instruction that couples need to listen to.
The third part of the book Money& Marriage is entitled "Fostering Financial Oneness". This section guides couples on finding their way in combining their financial destiny. It includes discussion of the "his and hers or ours" question to how couples handle their money. It also includes advice on other questions or how to combine finances in the wisest way possible.
MY OPINION
I really liked this book. It was smart. It offered wise advice without being judgmental. It was written in a way that is easy to read and accessable to a broad audience. As a pastor, I plan to keep it on my shelf for marriage and pre-marital counseling situations.
Matt Bell compiled some important statistics at the beginning of the book that we all should take time to read and pay attention to. They included research-based facts on how couples view money, and how couples communicate about money.
This is a book every young couple should have.
(This book was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review)
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