Great advice for couples on one of the biggest stressors of married life. It provided great insight and I loved the challenges at the end of each chapter. I wish I would've had this book a decade and a half ago, but I guess everything in God's timing. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends!

This is definitely a book for newlyweds or engaged couples to go through together to avoid downfalls down the road. It's pretty basic, but can also be used for couples struggling with money issues.

I found the downfall sections towards the end the most helpful, to stay healthy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

All marriages have challenges. It could be due to different upbringing. It could be conflicts that arise out of differences in personalities. It could even be due to extended family relationships. Even some of the most mundane things in life could spark a big quarrel. Other big things include breakdown in communications; lack of attention to spousal needs; unmet expectations; insensitivity; and so on. Among the most common challenges is that of finance. During economic downturns, layoffs, and financial setbacks, marriages suffer. "A financially healthy couple doesn’t start with a checking account. It starts with unity. It starts with sacrificial, selfless love. It starts with both husband and wife moving away from “me” and toward “we.” Through this the gospel is displayed, and true financial health can be pursued." So begins author and pastor Art Rainer in this book dedicated to talking about financial relationships among couples. The three key things that Rainer advocates are:

1) Deciding to begin with unity, where "we" takes priority over "me."
2) Desiring after God's design via 8 Money Milestones;
3) Destroying the Four Marriage Dividers.

The challenge is to do all of that in the area of finance. In the first phase, by deciding to begin with unity, Rainer believes that the best starting point is to begin with what marriage is all about: Togetherness. If not, why get married in the first place? So the challenge is to begin with oneness; to work and think as a team; to let Scripture unite the couple; to talk about common responses toward money matters; and to increase understanding about net worth and what to do about it. Learning to manage money before letting money manage us is probably one of the most important considerations to have.

Phase Two looks at the eight money milestones which enable couples to actively use money wisely. Learn to give; to save; and make the best of the financial tools available. Avoid debt as much as possible and to save up enough money for emergencies. Prepare for retirement. Generous living is one of the key aspects of living wisely. Phase Three is an interesting part of the book that warns us about four "marriage dividers" that are always there hiding somewhere. Readers are warned about the dangers of poor communications, that money is basically a symptom rather than the cause. Rainer helpfully gives us three keys for better marriage and money communications. Then there is the natural tendency toward selfishness. After giving us ways to identify selfishness in our lives, we are guided toward what selflessness looks like. The third divider is "distrust" in which we learn how to minimize them by maximizing five trust building steps. The fourth divider is unrealistic expectations and Rainer teaches us how to go about setting appropriate money expectations.

My Thoughts
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This book is not simply about money. It is how we can use money as an opportunity to build on greater understanding of healthy marital relationships. People often say that money makes the world go round. I would say, the lack of understanding of how money works would make the world go bonkers! In marriages, it could ruin relationships. The Bible has said that the love of money is the root of all evil. Thus, anything that guards us against that would be welcome. This book is one such guard to help us manage money before money manages us. Rainer keeps the book simple and engaging. It has clear steps for couples to read together and to take the challenges together. There are several creative ways to go about reading this book.

First, one can read the book together and to use the book as a 30-Day challenge TOGETHER. When done as a couple, the book no longer becomes an individual endeavor but a united journey that enables couples to learn more about money management, and more importantly, about each other. It is highly important to see how the author emphasizes the "oneness" right from the start. The Bible in Genesis 2:24 defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman and together they become one flesh. Out of this union comes the togetherness aspect of marriage.

Second, while the best option would be to read the book together and to take the challenges together, circumstances do occur that couples might have to take the challenges separately at different times. This is still possible but couples would need to make a conscious commitment to do that. It is for the sake of the marriage. Perhaps, the couple could agree to be accountable to a third authority, for example a marriage counselor, an elder, a pastor, or some recognized person that the couple respect. This would take the pressure of individual spouses trying to keep track of the other person's progress. Of course, ideally, the couple should communicate with each other directly, but in the real world, the ideal sometimes don't happen.

Third, can one read and practice the marriage challenges alone? While not the best option, it is still possible. Maybe, there could be multiple cycles of 30-days that could be done both individually as well as together. Certain challenges might be more challenging than others. Be creative in how to practice the challenges. Maybe, instead of 30 days, make it 30 weeks, or be flexible with the duration for each challenge. That way, the book could become a regular reference in which to practice money management.

That said, I think this book offers lots of opportunities for couples to interact and to communicate their expectations to each other. Any positive move toward constructive engagement would have been worth the price of the book.

Art Rainer is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. He writes widely about issues related to finance, wealth, and generosity, and is the author of The Money Challenge: 30 Days of Discovering God's Design for You and Your Money. Art lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina with his wife, Sarah, and their three children.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

This book would make a great wedding gift or engagement gift for a newly wed couple. It would make a perfect book to pick up if you're struggling with your finances and trying to become responsible in all aspects of joining your finances together, even if you've been married for a while.

I love the guide through on how to accomplish it, the suggestions and How-tos. It's definitely a book I would suggest to my newly wed friends and even to couples who have been married a while, like myself.

This book gives great financial advice and direction for the married couple. It resembles/piggy backs off of Dave Ramsey's program. Money is always an issue. Put your faith in each other and in God and you will have a strong sense of handle on your finances.

This is a good book with sound financial advice. It's a little different than other finance books and it's good for couples.

I LOVED this book! I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it, but it was a worthwhile read. Some of the things I loved about the book included:
- The way the author used a fable to integrate his points about money in marriage. It made the book much easier to read and made his principles obvious
- The way he talked about money and our goals surrounding it being about the KINGDOM of God and GENEROSITY, not just wealth or gain.
- His practical implementation of principles - I'm actually implementing many in my own marriage and finances.

Reading a book about money in marriage is not usually enjoyable, but this one was! Top off the great theological and practical perspective, and this was an amazing read I will recommend to newlyweds and engaged couples.

I found this book to be helpful, as my husband and I frequently argue about money. The 8 milestones the author writes about are written in a way that is straightforward. I did not agree with the first one, as I believe it is important to make sure you are current in paying your bills before making donations. Otherwise, this book had great advice!

What an intuitive book! I really wish I had gotten my hand son this earlier in my marriage! I really feel like it could have helped quicker. I enjoy how this book was broken down into smaller lessons and shows us how to take things step by step. 

In marriage most arguments stem form money. Whether the argument itself is about money or because we are stressed over money, it is the root most of the time. This book breaks down how to become better financial and manage things as partners. As it should be. in marriage when you say I Do you become one, not separate. 

One key factor i noticed is that this book still encourages us to give to God not just him but in life as well. We become selfish as humans and forget that at the end of the day, God asks us to give to him and others. What I think I've noticed is that in life we may say we are struggling but we don;t take into account of how there are others that do and always will have it worse than what we do.

The end of chapter challenges were great. it was refreshing to get new ideas and ways you and your partner can work together to change your finances. it's not asking each person to do it solo but rather this book is for couples. The books entirety was well laid out.
This was a wonderful, thought provoking read that challenges not just ourselves but humans as a couple as well. Definitely would think this could benefit for bible studies and churches for groups. Would love to see this book around more!

5/5 Stars

***I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Art Rainer has written an excellent financial guide for married couples. In this book, Rainer presents eight money milestones. These are practical and important steps to helping you and your spouse become financially healthy. The eight milestones are similar to Dave Ramsey's steps to financial freedom for those that are familiar with it, except for the very first step: Start Giving. The Bible tells us to give generously, save wisely, and live appropriately. Rainer also outlines how to create a budget and develop a plan to stick to it.

Financial stress is often the great divider in marriages. However, money itself is usually not the cause of most disagreements. Money is a symptom. The root of financial stress and disagreements can come from one of four marriage dividers: poor communication, selfishness, distrust, and unrealistic expectations. Rainer provides practical advice that will help strengthen your marriage as you and your spouse work together as a team. Throughout the book Rainer reminds the reader to examine all decisions through a Biblical lens. He also reminds us several times in the book that God designed us not to be hoarders, but rather conduits through which his generosity flows. We should be focused on living generously, giving generously, and learning how Christians should view retirement differently than others.

At the end of each chapter, you find Marriage Challenges. They are designed to get you both on the same financial page and to encourage you to live out God’s design for you and your money. Many of them are simply conversation starters for you and your spouse. I would recommend this book to all Christians as a guide to achieving good stewardship and financial health in your marriage.

I received this as a free ARC from B&H Publishing Group on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.