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It’s no secret that the majority of couples in the UK are now experiencing greater financial hardship than ever before. Not since the 1930’s have jobs, capital and personal solvency been harder to come by and we at Quickie Divorce have noticed that a growing number of our customers are citing financial problems as a reason for their marriages having broken down. The couples in question are not destitute by any means, but they have been unable to maintain the lifestyles to which they had become accustomed before ‘the great recession’. In many instances their lifestyles – whilst not exceptionally glamorous – were funded by cheap credit and the need to repay the bills that they has accrued coupled with the ever growing cost of living have left them frustrated and depressed. These feelings of frustration led to arguments, frequent arguments made the couple distant from one another, this distance resulted in the couple falling out of love and, as we all know, when a couple falls out of love with one another, divorce is almost inevitable. In other instances, household finances have been stretched so thin that both halves of a marriage have become severely stressed. This stress – akin to the frustration felt by couples who can no longer obtain credit – leads to arguments, the cycle described above is repeated and the couple divorce. It’s a vicious circle. Now, I realise that this post may seem somewhat depressing. Many of the people that read it may be in a similar situation after all, and may already have toyed with the idea of divorce. The purpose of this article is not to inform its readers that their marriages are doomed to fail, though, it is to inform them that money troubles, and the arguments that they bring, do not need to end in divorce. Provided that a couple can employ the right coping mechanisms, then their marriage can negotiate fiscal adversity. This all starts with a few small changes. Couples that enjoy more modest activity are, I have noticed, far less likely to experience marital strife when money’s tight. The reason: they are far more adaptable to financial change, tend to be better at fiscal planning and are therefore far better equipped to weather the storm of hardship. The skills that they possess are not integrated from birth, however, and they can be learnt. Any marriage that is subjected to the stress brought about by a lack of capital is capable of enduring the troubling times that ensue, the couple in question merely need to be willing to engage in effective planning and be willing to curtail their spending. If spouses are struggling to make ends meet, they need to sit down together, discuss their situation, analyse their spending habits and create a plan that fits their circumstances. I have advised many friends to do this in the past and they have all informed me that they were astonished at just how much they could save each month if they were more careful with their money. What’s more, the creation of this plan left them feeling empowered and significantly reduced their stress levels resulting in less bickering and fewer arguments. Learning to live with less disposable income is far more difficult, though, and, in many cases, has a significant and adverse effect on people’s sense of self-worth. Over time, though, couples can learn to adapt to these changes. Expensive activities are replaced by cheaper ones and costly hobbies give way to less ostentatious alternatives and the couple will become used to having less available income, realising that their still quite comfortable. Before they become acclimatised to their new situation, however, people are likely to become frustrated and this can lead to arguments. Be prepared for this and don’t let pride keep you from apologising. Arguments within a marriage are not an irregular occurrence and, provided both spouses are willing to forgive and empathise with each other’s situation, then they can easily be overcome. Remember, financial troubles do not need to end in divorce. It may seem trite to claim that money isn’t everything – particularly when the materialistic nature of modern society is taken into account – but a loving, supportive and happy marriage is more important than wealth or solvency.