How Money Really Affects Romance in a Relationship…Aside From Being a Literal Deal-Breaker

Busisiwe Mahoko
4 min readMar 3, 2022
a man pulling out money from his wallet
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

Money is often a common cause of arguments between couples. This article is an attempt to analyse why money is important in a relationship by comparing it to other causes of arguments, advantages, disadvantages and solutions. At first, money doesn’t seem too significant in a relationship. You only need two people with the right chemistry. More money can come later, right? Money is a factor in how you get there. It cannot buy happiness but can buy a relationship. As simple as this statement is, it’s sad so many of us do not understand how essential money is in a relationship.

We’ve all heard that “money is the root of all evil,” right? What if I told you that this cliché couldn’t be further from the truth? Money itself isn’t evil, but the power it brings. If you don’t believe me, just turn on your TV and look at how politicians use money to control others. My reason for bringing up this topic is that relationships should be based on love and trust, not money or greed. Think about what could happen when people disagree about money. Many couples have fought about money during their relationship, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

Money can be the ultimate source of fighting in a relationship. Financial Problems cause money problems in marriage and divorce more than ill-will, unmet expectations, or any other cited reason for divorce. Money seems to be the key ingredient for arguments today, but why are we arguing about it in the first place?

Money doesn’t make a person happy. It can’t buy love, but it can ruin a relationship. I don’t know if it’s because of my introvert habits, but I’m pretty particular about money-related subjects. And if you want to get married, I believe talking about money, then having a bunch of “just in case scenarios” talk is one way to start.

In my knowledge, every relationship requires communication, cooperation, and trust to work, and this matter is especially true when there’s money involved. Money is part of our everyday life and can be a source of conflict in any relationship. When people are living together, or get married, sharing finances becomes necessary to manage household expenses. A person’s decision on how much each will contribute can be very difficult for some couples since some people feel the need to show their partner who wears the pants in the family. Money is an important part of life. It plays a role in everything we do and makes it easier to live our lives, so it’s no wonder it plays a big role in our relationships with other people, too.

It’s not surprising that money is one of the major causes of arguments between couples — or that it’s one of the leading causes of divorce. It’s a taboo subject for many people, and figuring out ways to handle it together can be tricky. But, say you’re willing to put in the work and talk about what money means to you, you’ll strengthen your relationship by learning more about your partner. If you want to earn more money, you can do such outside your job — by starting a side hustle or upskilling yourself to get a raise or promotion at work. But in handling money with your partner, there are some guidelines that can help make sure you’re on the same page:

1) Have open and honest communication about what you each value in spending and saving money

2) Create a budget based on those values so you know where your money is going

3) Set simple financial goals together so you know whether they align you’re your plans.

Earning money is an enormous responsibility. It gives you the power to buy things that can make your life easier. However, with that money comes a great deal of responsibility: how you earn it, save it, and spend it. There are some major benefits to having money in a relationship. It’s also important to recognise that money can be destructive in the wrong hands, and many things can lead to frustration if one doesn’t handle it right. By following pointers I’ve listed throughout this article, you will help keep the peace in your household and offer a much better foundation for a long-lasting relationship.

I think money is very important in relationships. It gives people a sense of stability and independence; it creates balance and equality, and it can bring couples closer together in ways that are difficult to find outside of the relationship itself. Money may not be the “be all, end all” that some people make it out to be, but it’s still important.

Yes, it can be a touchy subject — particularly in relationships where the status quo is one partner earning significantly more than the other. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid the issue at all costs, as it can lead to resentment and discord in your relationship. Knowing how much you bring home will be an important first step towards creating a dialogue about your income. Just remember to tread lightly and not attack each other for the difference in wages — a negative reaction will worsen the situation.

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Busisiwe Mahoko

A visionary, humanitarian and altruist. An author of 34 books, screenwriter, motivator, and aspiring-filmmaker. She has also penned 3500 life-giving quotes.