Most families these days have dual incomes at some stage and rarely are these incomes equal. In the couples I see, the money is most commonly managed by the higher income earner. Sometimes, the money is kept in separate personal accounts with the couple agreeing on who pays what. But more often, the money is pooled and used to pay for all expenses. Rarely is there complete harmony when it comes to how the money is spent. That’s because there’s usually a spender and a saver in any one relationship and the different attitudes can cause arguments.

You don’t have to have a spending problem to be the spender. Nor do you have to be very tight with money to be the saver. Many generous people are savers and many discerning shoppers are spenders. We are all on a continuum and rarely are we on the same point on that line as our partner.

In the couples I see, the spender is often resentful of the control the saver tries to have over their spending and the saver is resentful about the money the spender spends. Following me? In other words, it’s hard for both parties. As usual, a pinch of empathy for the other person’s position will go a long way and after that, here are some strategies to minimise the issues that can arise from different attitudes towards money:

• Have insight – know whether you are a saver or a spender and why
• Understand why your partner thinks the way they do – it’s usually related to their upbringing
• Draw up a household budget with all income and expenses – a horrible, but necessary task
• Agree on an amount that both can use at their discretion – no questions asked
• Work out who is going to manage the budget – I often suggest that it’s the spender, so they are forced to be aware of the consequences of overspending
• Agree that you will both check with the other person before overspending – too often, the manager of the budget doesn’t consult with the other because they know when it’s okay to spend, which just leaves the other person feeling a sense of inequality if they are always asked to justify any spending over the allotted amount
• Be good role models for your children – it’s hard to teach them how to manage money if you’re constantly arguing over finances
• Don’t link pocket money to chores – many people will disagree with me on this, but I believe that unless you are going to follow through with threats to hold back their allowance if they don’t do their chores, it’s not helpful to keep nagging them to hold up their end of the bargain but still dishing out the money. Children need to be constantly asked to help around the house and be given responsibilities to prepare them for adulthood. And giving them an allowance is a good way to teach them how to save and spend responsibly. By keeping the two issues separate, the messages of money management and being part of a household are clearer.

It’s perfectly normal to be frustrated by our partner’s behaviour or that of a colleague or friend. Many of us believe that we understand why the other person behaves the way they do and know what they have to do to change. But as the saying goes, we can only change ourselves so it might be time to focus on what you can do to change their behaviour.

Perhaps your partner is a poor communicator and you wish that he or she would tell you why they are looking so unhappy or at least whether they will be home for dinner or not. But what if your reactions are making it harder for your partner to open up? What if they are worried that if they tell you the truth, it will start an argument that they would rather avoid? In other words, what can you do to make it easier for your partner to be a better communicator?

Maybe a colleague is driving you crazy because they are disorganised and approach everything in a chaotic way. It might be obvious to you that they should slow down, think through things carefully and work as part of a team. But what if your attitude towards them is very negative? What if they feel like you’re a giant handbrake, which is making them want to push harder or be unrealistically positive? When we zoom out and look at the dynamic within our relationships, it can be empowering. We can feel less helpless if we work out what we can do to improve that dynamic. Instead of complaining that your workmate is all over the place, why not allow some of their enthusiasm to rub off on you and resist the urge to point out the problems straight away. Try to praise their efforts and then suggest what you could do to address the gaping holes that you can see.

You might have a friend who seems to always want things to go their way. You see the movie they want to see or go to the restaurant they way to try. Over time, the resentment builds up and you start to feel the power imbalance. Instead of waiting until the resentment destroys the friendship, consider what role you’re playing in this dynamic. Maybe you hesitate to make suggestions yourself. Perhaps you are a little passive-aggressive and wait to be asked for your opinion or give subtle hints that go unnoticed. Your friend may be oblivious to the fact that you have a clear idea about what you want to eat or what movie you want to see. Even if you do speak up and your friend still tries to overrule you, be assertive and insist that next time it’s your choice. Once you change the dance steps, the other person can’t help but follow.

How often have you felt annoyed that your efforts to please another person weren’t appreciated? Perhaps you offered to help someone move house only to receive little thanks at the end of the day.  Maybe you spend hours dreaming up fabulous meals to cook for a partner who’d be happier eating meat and three veg. Or perhaps you go above and beyond your role as a parent by driving your children and their friends all over town, buying presents for their friends when they earn their own money, or volunteering to tutor your child for their upcoming exams while trying to ignore their glazed eyes..

When we feel unappreciated, resentment builds up. In an argument, out comes the list of things we have done for the other person without any thanks. It can be infuriating when our partner or child points out that they didn’t ask for help in the first place. Hold on a second?? What?? Oh yes, that’s right – I offered. But shouldn’t we still receive thanks when we do a good deed? Shouldn’t our efforts be rewarded? Most people say that they don’t help others to get the thanks, but it’s amazing how often we forget this fact.

For everybody’s sake it would be good if we all tried to:

• Give without the need for thanks
• Consider who we’re giving what to – does this person really want what I’m offering?
• And remember to thank others for their effort even if we didn’t ask them for it

Altruism increases our own level of happiness by giving us a sense of meaning and purpose. We don’t need thanks to feel good about being charitable. But we shouldn’t martyr ourselves by being everything to everyone only to end up feeling used.

Do you want to improve your relationship? Are there issues that keep coming up and never get resolved? Do you think it’s too late? Or maybe you believe things are pretty good, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Detox your Relationship explores ways to bring you closer to your partner. If there is no violence or abuse occurring, most relationships can be steered onto a better path with a touch of detox. Learning how to replace apathy, distractions, dependence, game playing, control and poor communication with a variety of helpful skills and strategies is not only possible, it’s often far easier than the alternative – splitting up.

If you’re at a crossroad or you simply want a stronger relationship, head to detoxyourrelationship.com and rid you and your partner of any toxic elements that may have crept into your life together.