The secret to a long and happy marriage, I tell my longtime wife, is to be smart with money.

“Then I’m going to go to Kohl’s to show you how smart I am,” she’ll tell me.

That’s only partial exaggeration. She’ll come back with a fist full of bags and a proud look on her face.

“Look how much I saved you today!” she’ll say.

And so it goes, with couples and money.

I’m reminded of all this in a week when everyone in America seems to be talking about debt and how to handle it. I’m lucky in that my wife rarely exceeds our spending cap (which generally is somewhere between our income and our outgo).

Not all couples are so fortunate.

Jane Honeck, the author of a new book, “The Problem With Money? It’s Not About the Money,” says that communication over money is a key to resolving marital strife.

Money — or lack of it — is the most divisive subject husbands and wives face. Considering that divorce among new couples hovers around 50 percent, you can see there is room for improvement.

“Focusing on an overall vision and money plan will keep both of you moving in the same
direction,” Honeck said. “Once you have done that, the small everyday decisions about what to spend your money on take care of themselves with little or no effort. When we have clear communication and know why we do something, the ‘what to do’ with our money is easy.”

She suggests people “talk, talk, talk” about their expenses, share the power when it comes to making decisions and not keep secrets.

Jane’s written a whole book, so I’m sure she’s got advice that can apply to just about everybody.

For more information on her book go to www.theproblemwithmoney.com

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