HisandHerMoney.com

When two people with opposite money views marry, it’s the ultimate in “He said, she said.”

He wants to save every penny so they can afford their dream house within the next five years, and she would rather live it up today while pushing off their dream a little longer.

She wants to budget every dollar to track everything they buy, and he thinks they can trust themselves to keep within their spending limit without accounting for every single purchase.

He thinks golf clubs with a four-digit price tag are a reasonable want, and she thinks they’re a ridiculous luxury reserved for the very wealthy.

And on and on it goes.

For Talaat and Tai McNeely, a pair of high school sweethearts ready to take their relationship further, the money differences were more than just an occasional spat — they were an obstruction standing between the couple and marriage.

As the McNeely’s share on their blog, hisandhermoney.com, here’s a sampling of some of the financial issues they were dealing with before they married:

• Do we let our credit scores dictate if we are compatible for marriage?
• How will our previous money habits play a role in our marriage?
• Do we merge our finances?
• How can we work together to become better at life and win with money?
• Am I a loser because I have now made my debt problems my future spouse’s problems?
• Can I change, or is my past really who I am?
• Should I have a secret account just in case our money situation gets worse?
• How will we purchase a home? Do we put it in both of our names and risk not having a low-interest rate due to the lower credit score?
• Do I have to take full responsibility for our finances simply because I’m better at it?
• Will we have to rely on two incomes to run our home?
• What will our lives look like five years from now?

Despite one partner being debt-free and the other carrying $30,000 in debt, the McNeely’s decided to get married. They knew the financial road ahead could be bumpy, but they were prepared to weather the storms together for the sake of their relationship.

Today, after years of struggling to chart their own joint money path, the McNeely’s are completely debt-free, have paid off their mortgage, and run a 6-figure business online. They have learned enormous life lessons on their journey toward financial wellness, and they generously share these lessons on their blog, podcasts, videos, and through their private community of couples seeking financial guidance.

The couple is passionate about helping others overcome their financial differences and build a better relationship and a better future together. Check out hisandhermoney.com to learn their secrets.

Your Turn: How do you and your partner deal with money differences? Tell us about it in the comments.