Traditionally, many couples select the month of June to celebrate their weddings. This custom stems from the era when ancient Romans observed a festival honouring Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Now, June is still considered the time to cherish love, matrimony and family.

When you put romantic notions aside, the reality is that celebrating love, marriage and the family can be quite costly. Whether you’re dating, preparing for your wedding, managing the bills with your spouse, or planning for your children, you need to be on top of your finances to survive.

Over the next few weeks, we will look at the topic of money and relationships by examining some issues which can affect your finances when other people are involved in your life. This week, let’s find out how to successfully manoeuvre the tempestuous financial waters when you’re in love.

When Cupid’s arrow hits its mark on your heart, sometimes commonsense may exit your head, and your financial decision-making may be compromised. However, you should strive to be very responsible with money during a courtship as it could affect the viability of your relationship.

Stick to your budget

Very often, people who are in love are more likely to focus more attention on the needs of their love interests, especially as it relates to their well-being. So you may find a smitten suitor paying all the bills for his new girlfriend, while he struggles to cover his own expenses at home.

Although it’s admirable to be concerned about others, it’s important for people to plan ahead for their own expenses by preparing a budget. A detailed budget can reveal that it may be necessary to cut back on some bills or earn additional income to be able to afford the extra costs of dating.

Budgeting also helps to build money maturity as it forces people to think about their future plans whenever they have spending choices to make. In fact, responsible budgeters may make better long-term partners, as they exhibit a level of wisdom and reliability that can benefit the relationship.

Don’t overspend to impress

It may not be coincidental that we speak of ‘falling in love,’ as persons often trip over themselves in their attempts to impress the objects of their affection. First impressions can make or break a fledgling relationship, and people will want to put their best foot forward to secure another date.

However, if people always spend more than they can really afford on their dates, or pretend to be more affluent than they really are, then this is actually a misrepresentation of their financial position. Eventually, when their true money situation is revealed, there may be disastrous results.

Lasting relationships are built on a foundation of trust. If individuals are only attracted by a perception of wealth, then their love and support will be unreliable in bad times. Similarly, people who portray false images of themselves may be untrustworthy in various other aspects of the relationship.

Enjoy economical dates

Some people believe that true devotion can be measured by how much money their love interests are willing to spend on them. It’s not the thought that counts, but the price tag; a low-cost birthday or Valentine’s Day gift may be seen as an indication that the relationship is going nowhere.

When money is tight, it can actually be a sign of real affection when persons are willing to use their creativity to show their partners a good time. A picnic in the park may be more romantic than a fancy meal in a five-star restaurant, if the food basket is prepared with love and thoughtfulness.

When couples remove all the frills and thrills of an expensive date, they may be able to experience each other in a more realistic setting. This can actually help them to understand how well they will get along in the real world and to determine if their relationship can stand the test of time.

Consider sharing expenses

Conventionally, women have been spared most of the debilitating effects that dating can bring to the budget, as men would normally pick up the tab. However, some open-minded women are willing to split the bill or occasionally provide their suitors with expense-free entertainment.

Although it would help to ease potential budget challenges, some men are uncomfortable with the concept of letting women take charge financially. In fact, there could be early disagreements if a lady insisted on paying for a date and her gentleman got offended at the perceived slight.

On the other hand, some men would be only too happy if their dates would offer to share costs. They sometimes feel overburdened by the women’s expectations, especially if their dates have champagne tastes while their pockets can only support the purchase of sparkling fruit juice!

It could be a harbinger of trouble for the future if both parties were on opposite sides of the fence with their money habits. Financial harmony is important for the success of the relationship and couples should use these dating experiences to test their long-term compatibility.

Copyright © 2015 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, June 4, 2015.

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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmart.org. Contact Cherryl