Many women who are going through divorce can’t even imagine dating again. They are left brokenhearted and financial devastated, in many cases, and the thought of another long-term romantic relationship is scary.
But the truth is that most of us going through divorce WILL date again. Many of us enjoy the companionship of a romantic partner, and we want to grow old with someone. Some of you are already actively dating, whether it’s on a casual or serious basis.
It’s important to have healthy money conversation with your partner early in the dating process.
On this week’s podcast episode, we welcome Ed Coambs, a therapist and money expert. He has a lot we can learn about having these financial conversations in a positive way.
You might think you can’t discuss money on the first date, but Ed disagrees. He thinks there is no better time than to get things started with open conversations about money. This doesn’t mean that you have to be overly inquisitive or impolite about it, because you’re just getting to know each other and there are things you both want to keep private (at least for the time being). But you can start out asking questions about their attitudes and approaches to money.
Ed says it is important to understand each other’s money values and histories, and that is something you will want to explore as you continue to date someone. We also talk in this episode about the the concept of financial intimacy, which involves open and honest communication about money.
Check out the episode to learn about about attachment styles in relationships and their impact on financial discussions. You can even take Ed’s Attachment Style Quiz here: https://www.healthyloveandmoney.com/attachment-style-quiz
Understanding how your partner values money and the approach they take to money are the keys to building financial intimacy.
