You are enrolled in autopay
Wait, what?! Autopay is simple, convenient and helps you pay your bills on time. Why is this a mistake? Well, according to Baert, “auto payment options allow me to pay on time, but do they allow me to control how much I pay in draft fees? Do they allow me to be flexible with my budget this month?” Not really. “An automated bill payment is something you do not really control. It’s a constant, not a variable.”
You don’t talk to your partner
Long-term couples don’t usually take money issues lightly and sometimes avoid talking about it altogether. But not discussing with your partner about financial issues such as saving money could lead to zero savings and a whole load of stress.
One of the first steps in a healthy relationship is to determine your short-term and long-term financial goals as a couple. “Go over some scenarios you might come across in your life together and discuss how you might handle them,” she suggests. “For example, one of you gets a nice raise. How would you like to use that money? Or you’ve got some money in investments, and the stock market takes a turn for the worse. How do you respond?” says Rachel Rabinovich, director of financial planning at Society of Grownups in Boston.
