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3 Tips to Make This Year’s Vacation Your Best Ever

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:13:24 +0000

Statistics show that the average family spends $369 per day on lodging, gas, food and fun on a vacation. Do we go simple or extravagant, kick back or active??? And let’s face it, each option has a price tag associated with it. Deciding what kind of vacation to go on can be confusing, frustrating and sometimes cause an argument between you and your loved one. Keep your Money Relationship headed in the right direction and follow these points to decide what kind of get-away will be best for your family this year:

Each of the 5 Money Personalities looks at vacations differently – Be sure to know what Money Personalities are inside of your family and treat yourself to… [more...]
Try a “stay-cation” – You could always be a “tourist in your own town”. Turn off the ringer, don’t worry about… [more...]
Start planning now – Get your vacation on the calendar, make a reservation, arrange to take the time off… [more...]

Read the complete Money Couple Minute here.

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

4 Tips for Your Financial Spring Clean

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:24:33 +0000

We all know the importance of a good spring clean of your home – you know… take everything out of your closets, clean, reorganize and put it back together all neat and tidy. But many of us don’t ever consider a “spring cleaning” of our finances. Whether you are a Saver, Spender, Risk Taker, Security Seeker, or Flyer, we all like the smell of a nice clean house – we suggest cleaning your “financial house” together, here’s how:

Dedicate a day: Your house takes a day to spring clean, so does your finances. Put the date on the calendar and if you’re married do it together! [more...]
Decide which rooms are going to get cleaned: Receipts, Debts, Insurance, Taxes, Investments… [more...]
Empty the closets: Get all of your statements and documents pulled together. Get all of your receipts, insurance statements, tax returns, investment statements… [more...]
Put everything back in to place:
Receipts – clear the clutter
Debts – shop for lower interest rates
Insurance – coverage is what you want [more...]

Read the complete Money Couple Minute here.

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

Tips for Dating Couples

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:53:57 +0000

We had so much fun in New York City taping for Fox News. For those of you who are familiar with the “curvy couch”, we were on the set right next to it. The hosts were great, the makeup professionals were fun, and it was an electrifying experience to share our tips for dating couples who need to have the important “money compatibility talk”. Enjoy the segment, please tweet it, recommend it and email it to all of your dating friends! Make it Happen!

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

3 Tips to Agree on Your Tax Refund

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:00:21 +0000

More than half of all Americans will get a tax refund this year. According to the IRS the average refund last year was around $3000, that money can make a significant difference in your financial picture and unfortunately, we have found, come between you and your spouse. This money decision, like every other money decision, calls for Money Relationship intentionality. As a couple, once you know what your refund will be, think twice about what you will do with the money and how it can affect your Money Relationship. Here are three tips to help get you and your spouse on the same tax refund page:

Do the sensible thing. – The Saver and the Security Seeker in the relationship will be all about paying off the debt, saving the money for retirement, and adding to the emergency fund. The Spenders, Flyers, and Risk Takers might not be quite as excited about paying debt, but will think it is a great time to do the home improvements they have been talking about or paying for the vacation that is long past due. It is important that you compromise and make sure each money personality is heard and respected!!!
Invest in yourself and your relationship! – With these surprise dollars it is a great time to invest in yourself and your relationships. Join a gym and pay for a year in advance to get the weight loss that you have been talking about. Take a vacation getaway for two or do a marriage workshop! Buy a tank of gas for a friend. Take some time at your next Money Huddle and dream about something fun to do for your family, yourself or each other.
Recalibrate your withholdings. – A tax refund is an interest free loan to the government. Most couples can use some extra money during the month. Take a look at your overall picture and see if there is a way to recalibrate your holdings for next year. It is always a good idea to contact your CPA or Tax Preparer before you pull the trigger with your payroll department.

We are launching brand new content on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to “like” and “follow” us today.

Make It Happen!

Scott and Bethany Palmer
The Money Couple

3 Steps to Make Retirement FUN

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:24:03 +0000

The word retirement conjures up a lot of different feelings – some spouses are scared and some have a true sense of excitement when they talk about it. Your money relationship touches every part of your life together and that’s especially true when it comes to planning for retirement.

Your plans will likely involve some changes in how you save and spend money, as well as some solid conversations about what you want your future to look like. By developing stronger money communication skills, the two of you can tackle the retirement decisions where money is involved (which is in most, we might add)!! We want you to think “happy thoughts” when you and your spouse talk about retirement. Here are three tips to make your retirement all you want it to be, we use the acronym FUN:

F: Find your number – Find the number or amount of money you need to save to reach your retirement goal. Grab your retirement plan statements and [more...]
U: Understand each other’s needs and dreams – Many couples struggle with where to start so they don’t do anything. The topics you choose to talk about [more...]
N: No excuses!!! – Consider each other’s Money Personalities as you go in to your retirement discussions!! We all have expectations of what retirement will look like. [more...]

Read the Complete Money Couple Minute here.

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

Click here to get your Money Relationship Retirement Checklist!

4 Tipping Tips

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:53:44 +0000

How much do we tip? Why should we tip when they are just “doing their job”? Why does it feel like we are tipping every time we go out?

These and many other questions come up when we are talking about the gratuities’ tip. Here are 4 ideas that will give “tipping together” a whole new meaning:

Define tipping – Tips are given to people in the service industry. Often times tips are the employees [more...]
Go in to your service with a plan – After a service is complete, whether it is getting our dog groomed [more...]
Identify your approach – Decide how much you want to tip to each category of service. If they do a stellar job [more...]
“Tip Together” – As we have discovered, not everyone has the same philosophy when it comes to tipping. Make [more...]

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

Click here for a Convenient “Tipping Together” List!

Happy Valentine’s Day! You Spent How Much Money, Honey?

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:49:44 +0000

We recently had a young lady who is engaged tell us that last Valentine’s Day her fiancé spent $200 dollars on Valentine’s gifts and she baked him a plate of cookies… Awkward! The truth of the matter is that this type of situation happens all the time. They say, “money can’t buy love”, but it seems that’s exactly what we try to do each year when Valentine’s Day comes around. We’re not talking about a few greeting cards or chocolates here and there, either. Valentine’s Day has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. That’s right, billion. Valentine’s Day can be a Spender’s dream or a Saver’s nightmare.

Here are three tips on how to have a great Valentine’s Day and keep the romantic day intact:

Make Valentine’s Day a team effort. – Money surprises are the worst surprises of all – especially when it comes to gift giving. Each of you, come up with an amount [more...]
Remember to think of your spouse’s Money Personality. – For the Savers out there, a plate of cookies is [more...]
Be creative. – There are a lot of couples for whom finances are tight. Work on your creativity and do something romantic that will [more...]

We are getting ready to launch brand new content on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to “like” and “follow” us today. Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Make it Happen!
The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

Click here for a Valentine’s Day Money Relationship Tip!

Destroy Your Holiday Debt

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:41:17 +0000

The party is over and now the bills are rolling in. A recent poll cites that Americans spent 548 billion dollars during the holidays (Answers.com). How do you recover and get 2012 off to a great start? Here are three tips to get you and your budget back on track:

Add it up! – This is no time to wimp out or stick your head in the sand. Pull all of your statements together [more...]
Get Strategic. – Figure out what you need to start paying off first. It is tempting to pay the lowest balance first. [more...]
Work as a team! – If you are married, be sure to agree on your approach. Couples that agree on how to approach and tackle holiday debt together get their debt paid off [more...]

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Scott & Bethany Palmer
Make it Happen!
The Money Couple

Dating? Having a Money Talk

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:32:40 +0000

You have been dating and are starting to be filled with hope and excitement as you think about your future together. Where would you live, what kind of family would you have, what kind of adventures would you experience, and how would you handle your money as a couple.

If one of those things doesn’t seem to fit with the others, well, you’re not alone. We find that in all the fun and emotion of dating, money conversations often get left out. And we get that – talking about money doesn’t seem very romantic.

According to a recent survey by Country Financial, 49% of couples do not talk about money before they are married. Since money affects every aspect of your relationship, learn your money compatibility early on.

Here is how to have your first Money talk:

Discover and reveal your Money Personality. – Money affects every aspect of a relationship. Early in your relationship, you need to understand your… [more...]
Identify their response. – If the response is negative – red flag, red flag, red flag. For example: [more...]
Discover their Money Personality. – Ask yourself, “Is this a Money Personality I can live with for… [more...]

Discovering more about the person you are dating will help you decide if you want to pursue this relationship or not. As you talk about your Money Personalities, you might find this money conversation can be a little more romantic than you thought.

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

It’s a New Year, and a New You – Revamp your Money Relationship

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:00:30 +0000

Pop open the champagne and toast to a New Year, and a new Money Relationship! In the past year, you might have skipped out on a few Money Huddles, argued about everyday money issues, or hesitated to reveal certain impulse purchases to your partner. As a couple you might have spent too much on date night, or cut back on vacation time with your family because of a tighter budget. You might even be suffering from a holiday-spending hangover, but none of that matters now! January 1 is a clean slate, and it’s yours for the taking! Reclaim and revamp your Money Relationship with your partner, and do the following:

Celebrate the Victories – It wasn’t all bad. Sure, you might have had some Money Relationship slip-ups, but focus on the things that you did right. [more...]
Discover something NEW – It’s time to do some digging. Take some time to reflect on the state of your relationship over the past year. Think about times that you [more...]
Recommit to your Love & Money Vows – Get out your pen and paper and write down your Love & Money Vows. The top two items should be “no money fights” and “no financial infidelity.” [more...]
Dream the dream – Set aside some time with your partner to dream up one goal [more...]

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]
Here’s to a great Money Relationship in 2012!

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer