If you are flying solo in life right now this will hopefully be easier for you. The fact of the matter is that I am finding many people whose financial plans (if they have any at all) are not likely to be in alignment with other parts of their lives and even more frightening, not even known to their partner in life. I feel as if I preach this constantly and I apologize if you happen to be one of the lucky few who not only have measurable goals but also are aware that they are in alignment with your values and that of your partner. Now, that isn’t to say that your goals have to be perfectly in sync but it is pretty important that they at least have a common theme. For instance, if your partner loves material objects, measures their status in the world by having the latest hand bag and can’t pay cash for them, well….. it is likely that credit purchases will be necessary to fill the need and if your life goal is to be debt free. Tell me, at what point does the lack of alignment start causing problems in your relationship? Will you realize it before the problems are so deeply rooted that your relationship is damaged?

Here is my suggestion. If you haven’t sat down as an individual and written some goals that are measurable and have a deadline, I strongly suggest you do so. Then, meet with your spouse, making it as important as it truly is, get a baby sitter if you need to and compare notes. See where the similarities are and build common goals for your family. Ensuring that you have common ground and agree with where you are going will help you through the more difficult times. Be respectful to your partners differences. I think it is nearly impossible to completely agree on every aspect of life and personal financial goals can be one of the toughest. Appreciate what your partner brings to the table in their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to build bridges in order to bring your goals into alignment.

Debt free living is a noble goal and completely attainable. The more the entire family agrees on decisions the less it will feel like anyone is making sacrifices in order to pay off the debt. Keep the lines of communication open and be honest with each other. Your goal setting will allow for a little dreaming of how things can be for your life. Enjoy the daydreams but after its over, make a plan to get there one bill, one idea at a time.