For many people, money is a major cause of stress. In some families, people argue constantly about how to spend the money they have, who controls it, and how to earn more. These stresses cause marital conflict and are very often a factor in divorce.

In the American culture, we are under tremendous pressure to spend money on things we don’t really need. Because it is easy to confuse acquiring things with happiness, plenty of people get caught up in spending habits that can quickly spin out of control. When one person in a relationship indulges in this behavior, it places enormous stress on the relationship with his/her partner and other family members.