Money fights are one of the most common sources of stress in relationships, but they don’t have to be. In this episode of Penned in Ink, we talk openly about money, marriage, and how financial transparency builds long-term trust.

We share how our early money habits were formed, why avoiding “the money talk” creates hidden tension, and how couples can align financially without control, shame, or fear. We also tackle one of the biggest debates online: should couples combine finances or keep them separate?

If you and your partner disagree about spending, feel anxious talking about money, or want a healthier financial foundation for marriage, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How childhood money experiences shape adult financial habits
• When couples should have the money talk and what it should include
• Spender vs saver dynamics and why goals matter more than labels
• Who should manage the money and why budgeting must be shared
• Combining finances vs separate accounts and the real pros and cons
• Red flags vs yellow flags during financial conversations
• How transparency builds trust and prevents financial infidelity

Pen to Paper Challenge:

Have you and your partner had a real money conversation? If not, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for when to talk, how to set it up, and what honesty actually looks like.

If this episode resonates, leave a comment and let us know how you and your partner manage money. And if you’re navigating finances before marriage, share this with someone who needs to hear it.

Chapters

00:00 – Episode teaser

00:29 – Welcome and introduction

01:43 – Developing your early money habits

07:07 – Having “the money talk”

20:02 – Inked Moments: Starting our retirement planning

22:48 – Who should manage the finances in a relationship?

30:14 – The power of combining finances in marriage

44:00 – Pen to Paper: How to have “the money talk”

55:08 – Closing thoughts

Reference Article

Gen Z Is Doing Something Before Marriage That Most Americans Never Did

https://www.investopedia.com/what-gen-z-is-doing-before-marriage-11744948

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Is marriage still worth it today, or has commitment lost its value? In this episode of Penned in Ink, we take a direct and honest look at one of the biggest questions people are asking right now: Should you still get married? Drawing from over 30 years of marriage, our lived experience, and Melissa’s work as a professional counselor, we talk honestly about why so many people hesitate to commit and what marriage actually offers when it is built intentionally.

We don’t romanticize marriage, and we don’t dismiss its challenges. Instead, we explore the real emotional, social, financial, and long-term realities of commitment. From fear of losing independence to anxiety about divorce, from financial pressure to cultural skepticism, we unpack the doubts we hear every day and explain why a strong marriage can still be a powerful framework for building a meaningful life together.

This episode isn’t about convincing everyone to get married. It’s about helping you think clearly, ask better questions, and understand what commitment can look like when it’s healthy, mutual, and intentional.

💬 In this episode, we discuss:

• Why commitment and marriage feel riskier today than they did in the past
• The most common doubts we hear about marriage, including fear of divorce and loss of independence
• The difference between being married and simply living together
• Emotional benefits of long-term commitment and having a true partner
• Social and health impacts of marriage, especially for men
• Financial realities of marriage, including stability, shared goals, and long-term wealth
• Why marriage is not only for religious people
• The difference between staying married and building a strong marriage
• How healthy marriages model stability for future generations
• Why marriage can be a force multiplier when it’s built the right way

🎧 Listen if you are…

• Questioning whether marriage is still worth it
• Feeling hesitant about long-term commitment
• Curious about the real benefits and challenges of marriage
• Looking for honest, experience-based perspectives on relationships
• Wanting to build something that lasts rather than settling

Chapters

00:00 – Episode teaser

00:29 – Welcome and introduction

01:29 – Modern doubts about marriage

01:50 – Doubt 1: Fear of losing your independence

03:09 – Doubt 2: It’s just a piece of paper

03:25 – Doubt 3: Fear of divorce

04:49 – Doubt 4: Marriage is only for the religious

05:28 – The case for marriage

06:22 – Reason 1: Emotional benefits of marriage

07:54 – Reason 2: Social benefits of marriage

11:02 – Reason 3: Financial benefits of marriage

16:17 – Reason 4: Someone to grow old with

18:14 – Reason 5: Optimal structure to raise children

22:17 – Inked Moments: When Melissa questioned commitment

27:48 – Commitment beyond marriage

34:20 – Pen to Paper: How to weigh the benefits of marriage

38:29 – Closing thoughts

Ever have to make a big life decision? At some point we are all faced with life-defining decisions. In this episode, we take you inside the biggest decisions we have made across three decades together and show you why celebrating milestones is one of the most powerful tools for building long-lasting love. From cross-country moves and the decision to have more kids or not to eliminating debt and supporting our daughter through a life-changing medical diagnosis, we explore how shared decision-making strengthens trust, creates resilience, and deepens emotional connection. We also highlight the often-overlooked importance of celebrating small wins in your relationship, not just the major life events.

We share clear examples couples can learn from: how to evaluate major life choices, how aligned goals fuel momentum, and how celebration, big or small, reinforces the belief that you are building something meaningful together.

We start with a discussion around the real process behind our biggest joint decisions, including

• A cross-country move for a career opportunity
• Deciding if we wanted a third child and the emotional work behind the choice
• Leaning in to eliminate all debt, including our mortgage, and how it changed our family’s future

Next, we explore how celebrating milestones builds resilience and why couples must actively mark wins to reinforce connection. We highlight the impact of three big celebrations, including

• A 70s-themed 50th birthday celebration and the unexpected benefits of simply throwing a party
• Our 25th-anniversary trip to Scotland and the renewal that came from our adventure together
• Seeing our daughters graduate from college and launch into adult life, which felt like a huge win for us

We then share our most personal story to date when we discuss how resilience formed through earlier wins helped us navigate our daughter’s diagnosis with fascioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

💬 Key themes:

• Aligned decision-making builds trust. Major life choices become easier when couples evaluate trade-offs together using shared criteria, such as a long-term vision and emotional readiness.
• Celebration reinforces connection. Marking milestones creates positive emotional anchors that relationships can draw strength from in harder seasons.
• Resilience is built, not born. The work you do as a couple will equip you for the good times, which will prepare you for the storms we can’t predict.
• Financial clarity is relational clarity. Getting on the same financial page can eliminate stress and open doors for meaningful shared experiences.
• Small wins matter. Relationship growth often happens in daily moments of courage, communication, and new habits.

🎧 Listen if you are…

• Someone navigating major life decisions such as career moves, finances, or family planning, and want real examples of how couples make those choices together.
• Looking for practical ways to build resilience and strengthen your relationship before tough seasons arrive.
• Wanting to understand how celebrating milestones (big and small) can transform the emotional health of a long-term partnership.

Chapters

00:00 – Episode teaser

00:29 – Welcome and introduction

02:19 – Big Decision #1 – Moving cross-country for a career opportunity

06:03 – Big Decision #2 – To have another child or not

13:04 – Big Decision #3 – To fully get out of debt, and to live a debt-free life

16:48 – Inked Moments: Throwing Michael’s 50th birthday party

20:21 – Importance of celebrating milestones

23:25 – Big Milestone #1 – 25th Anniversary trip to Scotland

26:22 – Big Milestone #2 – Our children graduating from college

28:33 – Big Milestone #3 – A wedding celebration

31:02 – Story of resilience – Alexa’s diagnosis

32:40 – Impact of Alexa’s diagnosis on our relationship

38:55 – Pen to Paper: Celebrate the small milestones

45:12 – Closing thoughts

To learn more about facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) visit https://www.fshdsociety.org/