Money, Coming and Going

When Jenny and I got married and brought our two lifestyles under one roof, we realized that we each manage our money in different ways. I look at what will be needed in the future, and budget so that I have enough, and Jenny keeps track of what she has spent her money on so she can tell when she needs to change her spending habits. I plan ahead for the future, Jenny analyses the past.

I do not think that either is the 'right' way to manage money, but I do think that using both of our methods together is a powerful combination.

Choosing how we watch our finance probably says something about our personalities.



I settled on my approach during University because it enabled me to do a single burst of work and calculations, make a single decision (how much could I allow myself to spend on groceries etc. in a single week) and then never worry about it again. I made a plan, knowing I would stick to it, and then had no need to be concerned with bills automatically going out of bank account because I knew there would always be enough.

Jenny is good at analysis. She used the same method with her time as she did her money during University, recording what she had done until she could visually see her habits, and then make a note to herself to spend more, or less, time or money on certain things.

I, too, tend to think about my time from the same angle that I think about money, looking ahead to the future more than looking back at the past. Maybe most people treat their time and their money in the same way.

How do you work with your finances? Do you more frequently plan your future or remember the past?



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