Often in relationships you have found yourself attracted to an opposite of you. Often this attraction will also be in the way money is managed. Somehow subconsciously our attraction to our opposites also includes characteristics that we are not aware of at the time.

Your partner will probably be the opposite to you, if you are the spendthrift, then they are the miser and vice-versa.  It is important to agree together on a budget and when you don’t keep to your budget you have an agreed point to discuss from. To reform a spendaholic is very difficult as they are the ones that can only make the change. It will take from you a lot of tact, guile, patience and strength. The spendaholic will be defensive and at times aggressive, as they obtain enjoyment from spending, the one thing you want to stop.

There are several approaches you can take, all of which will depend on the people involved. You set the spendaholic a agreed budget with agreed financial controls, these controls stop them getting additional money. You gradually reduce their budget whilst they are reforming their spending, a good idea is when they are meeting their targets you reward them.

Remember you catch more with honey than with vinegar, in this case the honey is the reward. The honey is also your non-adversarial approach you have used, the vinegar is when you had taken an adversarial approach. Most importantly stay firm and do not let the budget be blown in a moment of weakness with the spendthrift.