How Do I Get My Wife to Spend Less?

Channel your inner Oprah. "You do not want to turn every issue into a formal financial summit, but this is a biggie," says Motley Fool consumer finance expert Dayana Yochim. "Start off with a touchy-feely, Oprah-style conversation about your goals. I advise couples to go on a mental shopping spree and create a wish list, with each person writing down the future events that he or she is most excited about, whether it's vacations, home improvements, paying for college, or getting chin implants." Why? "People need a carrot tied to the end of the stick," says Yochim. "If you don't know what your goals are, there's nothing to work toward." The conversation begins after you exchange lists. "If you do it right, you'll both be excited about brainstorming ways to achieve your financial goals, but the real magic of this exercise is that it makes you partners, not adversaries, in—cue the music—making your dreams a reality."