My friends Lisa and Kraig (names were changed) had been engaged for three and a half years before they got married. When they were engaged, Kraig was in deep debt, and their premarriage counselor, who was also their pastor, advised them to wait until Kraig paid off all debt.If C.J. had debt, I would not have married him. No, never! When we got engaged, C.J. was also in debt, due to the cost of the engagement ring which he put on my finger plus tuition for his MBA program. Determined to start my marriage debt-free, I told him that I want to trade the diamond ring for a simple gold band. We had a serious conversation about the situation, and C.J. decided to use his savings to pay off the debt. And, of course, I got to keep the diamond ring!
I was firm that I would not marry someone in debt of any kind other than home mortgage, and C.J. graciously agreed to start off our marriage with a clean financial slate.
Whew! We are so glad that we started off debt-free. I cannot imagine how we could have lived through the tough first one and a half years of our marriage if we had debt in addition to all those first-year surprises which alone were overwhelming enough. Those who have ears, let them hear...
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Money matters in marriage
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