Survey: Money Number One Cause of Conflict for Young Couples - East Idaho News
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Survey: Money Number One Cause of Conflict for Young Couples

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GETTY B 082312 Couple?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1345715363348Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Money can’t buy happiness, but the lack of it can cause conflict for young couples, whether they’re engaged, just married or expecting a child. 

A survey commissioned by Chase Card Services and XO Group Inc., the company behind TheKnot.com, TheNest.com and TheBump.com, finds money is the root of all arguments at every stage of a young couple’s life together.

Key findings related to engaged couples:

— 55 percent of engaged couples argue over whether their wedding is the best way to spend the money they have.

— Of those who fight about money and finances, 49 percent do so because they don’t have the budget to have the wedding they want.  As a result, every planning detail becomes stressful to them.

— 22 percent of engaged couples fought because their parents were giving them money for the wedding and then thought that gave them the right to help plan, too.

Key findings related to married couples:

— Three out of four married couples clash over money and expenses, and 45 percent do so because they want nice things but don’t have the budget for them, and 41 percent disagree on where to spend their money.

— Among couples who argue about expenses, 30 percent of wives say they are more frugal than their partners.

— Of the 34 percent of couples who disagree about when to start a family, approximately one-third say they’re not sure if they’re ready for the responsibility of raising kids.

Key findings related to pregnant couples:

— When it comes to planning for a baby, 58 percent of expecting respondents said they didn’t wait until they were financially secure to get pregnant.

— Of those who are currently expecting, three out of four wish they were more financially secure at this point in their pregnancy. Ten percent think they aren’t financially prepared at all for the cost of their approaching child.

— 35 percent of pregnant couples argue about whether they can afford their baby, with 68 percent of these couples unsure if their current income is enough.

— Twenty-two percent of expecting couples wish they had a little more time to themselves before they have children.

— Being able to afford children and giving them the life they deserve is the number one worry of couples having a baby.

The survey involved more than 2,100 engaged, married or pregnant women.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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