Marital spending becomes a bottleneck of trust
In married life, finance is inherently a sensitive issue, easily becoming a cause of controversy if there is no transparency.
Reality shows that many couples fall into situations of lack of clarity in managing money, leading to invisible distances in the relationship.
The case of Ms. Tran Gia Linh (32 years old, Hanoi) shows a common perspective. Ms. Linh said that each month her husband only transfers about 1/3 of his salary to the family, and the rest he keeps as personal money for personal expenses but does not share specifically.
Many times the salary he gives each month is not enough for spending, I have questioned many times but my husband does not clearly say what the remaining money is used for. I am very sad and feel distrustful of my husband," Ms. Gia Linh shared.
Ms. Linh believes that the important thing is not to keep or not keep private money, but to be transparent and share between the two to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in marriage.
Similarly, Mr. Vu Quoc Dat (30 years old, Hanoi) said that his wife often withdraws money from the common fund to buy valuable items without prior exchange.
Each item costs tens of millions of VND, I feel disrespected because I was not discussed before using the common money," said Mr. Quoc Dat.
Unconsistent financial management methods like the above, even if originating from different personal views, can affect the trust between husband and wife in the family.
Financial transparency helps couples work together sustainably
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van - Financial Advisor of FIDT Investment Consulting and Asset Management Joint Stock Company - financial management in marriage needs to start from sharing and unifying common goals.
When husband and wife join hands towards a common goal such as buying a house, accumulating assets, or financial freedom, talking about money will become easier and less stressful," the financial advisor said.
Ms. Van also emphasized that couples should try to build a common financial picture at a basic level, including income, fixed costs, debt and principal assets,... so that both can understand the situation.
Each couple does not need to go too deep into each small expense, but needs to be clear enough for both of them to understand where they are," Ms. Van said.
Regarding transparent financial management for households, Ms. Van recommends using a model combining a common fund and a private fund.
In addition to spending and accumulation for the family, each person should have a fixed personal expenditure to use independently, within which no explanation is required. This helps to be both transparent and keep comfort," Ms. Van shared.
In addition, maintaining periodic monthly or quarterly exchanges is also very necessary to update and adjust financial plans.
The most important thing for a couple is not to control each other, but to accompany each other towards a common goal," the financial advisor emphasized.
