Setting goals is something that I believe is very important. We all should have goals for ourselves, our families and our marriages. Setting goals helps you to work towards the visions you have for yourself, your family, and your marriage.
Setting goals, especially financial goals, becomes so much more important as you work towards financial peace and financial freedom. When you are married it is not just about the goals you set, but why and how you set them; and that you set them together.
Setting Financial Goals Together Ensures You Are On The Same Page
Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?
Amos 3:3 (NLT)
Not setting financial goals together can cause you to not achieve the financial peace and freedom you are seeking. Especially when you differ in ideas and vision. You may have different ideas of what your financial situation actually looks like. As well as different visions of what financial freedom means to you. Sitting down together and setting goals will help you to get on the same page and strengthen your marriage as well.
Setting financial goals is not just about managing debt either, but planning for the future as well. If one vision you have for yourself is to become a stay at home mom, have you set financial goals to help you transition to a one income household?
If one vision you have for your family is to take a big family vacation every year, have you set financial goals to ensure you can afford to do so? If one vision you have for your marriage is to travel around the country in an RV after you retire, have you set financial goals to make sure your retirement accounts stay fully funded?
(Side note: traveling in an RV after retirement is a vision of mine, that my hubby is just not feeling. So for now, it is just a wish that I hope I can convince him one day is a great idea. ? But anyway)
Now that you have sat down together and set goals, it is also important that you write them down.
Write Your Financial Goals Down
Just as important as setting your financial goals are, so is writing them down.
Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.
Habakuk 2:2 (NKJV)
Writing them down not only serves as a reminder of what you are working towards, but also a reminder of the goals you have accomplished. Seeing all the things you have accomplished as a couple is great motivation to continue pushing forward. If you want a super helpful and cute printable to write all your goals down on, get your free copy here. Then once you have your financial goals set, written down, and are working towards them, it is important of to revisit them often.
Monthly Financial Goals Check-Ins
Be diligent to know the stat of your flocks, and attend to your herds;
Proverbs 27:23 (NKJV)
Goals are not something that you set and then forget. After setting goals, you have to make sure that you are actively working towards them. By setting time aside at least once a month to revisit your goals you can hold each other accountable and make sure you are still working towards your goals. You can also use this time to encourage each other as you work towards achieving your goals together.
The journey to financial peace and financial freedom may not an easy one, but by setting financial goals together, seeing the goals that you have accomplished along the way, and working together to achieve them, makes all the hard work worth it.
I’d love to hear about a financial goal you have set for this year in the comments!
Love the cute printable. Money can be a huge problem for marriages, so doing the finances together is definitely best. That way both the husband and wife know how much there is and what is/isn’t available in the money department. 😉
Talk about financial goals before you get married. Make sure both of you are on the same page. Most marriages have problems over money issues.
I love these verses that you shared here. My hubby and I are great at having a goal and writing it down but we are working on getting better with following through and keeping each other accountable.
So true! When we knew we were going to need a new car, we sat down together and worked out how much we were going to need to save. We made a chart to track our progress. It was fun, and it kept us both accountable. It is also so freeing to be able to pay cash for larger purchases. 🙂
Now that is an awesome way to come together, set a goal, and work on it together, Christine. Not having a large debt hanging over you is so freeing. And it is so much fun and rewarding to work together to achieve your goals.
Setting financial goals at the start of our marriage was a lifesaver! When we were discovering all these new things about each other and they weren’t always good, we had the lens of our shared goals to filter them through.
That’s awesome, Jen! Having that filter is so important. Seeing how different your priorities may have been can be a real eye opener. That is definitely something I wish we did from the beginning, but better late than never. ?
I am loving reading these posts with my husband. We are so goal oriented but it does make me eager to get there!
That’s awesome, Bonnie! I’m so glad that you share these with your hubby and you can both get something from them, so you can grow together. I love sharing articles I read with my hubby that I know will speak to him as well. ?
Sit down and make a budget together to see where your money is going. Set goals together. Separating money is never a good idea. Doesn’t bring you closer as a married couple.
Great advice! I’ve noticed a big difference when we check in monthly or just write down goals and leave them.
It’s so important to have the same financial goals! I think this is a discussion to be had at least once a year or when your finances change (job, house, ect)
I love this; you’re so right! I recently finished reading Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover.” It’s totally changed how we talk about finances in our house. I’ve enjoyed reading this and your other financial posts. 🙂
So true! It’s so important to have both people invested in the goal!
These are such wise words. Financial planning is so not my strength and it’s why I love reading your tips because they are definitely helping me. 🙂
The How-to Guru
I love this! I have a goal to earn an income from my blog!! 🙂
Sincerely Miss J