Being upfront about spending is better for marriages

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Money problems. That puts the greatest stress on marriages. And under that heading, there's financial infidelity. Too many couples hide from one another what they spend.  

According to the finance site The Ascent by The Motley Fool, couples consider financial infidelity more problematic than other problems, like dealing with the other partner's family or settling political differences. 

The signs that one is spending a lot and hiding it would be high credit card bills and other accounts you don't know about. Obviously, nobody has time to go over every purchase with their spouse, but there generally agreed upon thresholds for when you should tell your husband or wife, 'Hey, I want to spend some money.'

A recent poll shows that men and women are close, at least, at determining that figure. Joint decision-making comes into play at $498 for the fellas and $427 for the ladies. I say meet in the middle. But even at lower numbers, there should be some advanced notice that you're going to spend some money.  Men polled believe that is $261, women settle into $227.

The good news is 67 percent of those folks polled said they've never lied about purchases. So, that's good. For the rest, just maybe checking in with your partner once a week and talking about money will go a long way to helping your marriage. Doesn't have to be a long, sit-down meeting every time, but just a quick review of the week's spending.

PURCHASES WE LIE ABOUT

Men: gambling, alcohol and electronics

Women: clothing, gifts and cosmetics