This is one of our favorite classes in FPU. "Worth the price of admission". Last year we wrote about my time as a reluctant spouse. It's one of my favorite posts as we each wrote about it from our own perspective. You can clearly see - we were not on the same page. A big focus of Financial Peace University and specifically this week's class is bringing husband and wife together to talk about money in a constructive way.

The first time we lead an FPU class, we were also taking it ourselves. We really didn't know what we were getting into, or what to expect. One couple showed up for the first class, and clearly they had been fighting on the way over - probably about money. The scowls on their faces said it all.


They sat next to each other, reluctantly. No touching, no talking. By this lesson, they were laughing, elbowing each other, and holding hands. Where they were previously guarded and quiet in the small group discussions, they were suddenly talkative and open. They were so excited - collectively - that they were reading ahead, and knew the jokes before they were coming.

It was amazing to watch. Especially come the final class when they admitted that without this class, they would likely be divorced. It was a truly humbling moment, to know that this class had that big of an impact on a marriage. They were talking, budgeting and had a shared set of goals. A couple that had previously filed bankruptcy and were still struggling, now had a path to success.

This updated version of FPU has this lesson in week two, which makes a lot of sense to have this lesson before the budgeting lesson - aka, The Big Fight! Just kidding. If you get this lesson, you'll have much less to worry about come cash flow planning time.

Has money been an issue in your marriage?