We think it is about the amount. It’s rarely the math.
Usually, it’s the story you tell yourself about money that breaks you. Matt Bell knows this. He spent his mid-twenties thinking a $60,000 check from an uncle was freedom. It wasn’t. It was fuel for a lifestyle he couldn’t sustain. He traveled to luxury golf courses, published a newsletter, and burned through every dollar. Then came the debt. $20,000 on credit cards. Gone in two years.
“God was using it to break me of my self-suff.”
Most marriages aren’t golfing down their savings. But the stats are uglier.
40% of couples have no idea how much their partner makes.
28% lie about big purchases. Or the debt.
Financial infidelity. Sounds cold, doesn’t it? It happens all the time.
Matt Bell now runs Sound Mind Investing. He sits on a show with Jim Daly called Focus on the Family. They talk about how to stop bleeding cash. They discuss the classic trap: one person spends, the other saves. The friction is real. The solution isn’t hiding it. It’s unity.
Matt learned the hard way that debt is bondage. You have to get out of it. The single most powerful tool he mentions isn’t a spreadsheet. It’s purpose. Building the Kingdom first. Not giving to get. Giving because he gave first.
You can hear the whole interview on radio, podcasts, or their app.
Maybe skip the app for a minute. Try their free Marriage Assessment tool online.
Why bother?
It shows you what’s broken. What’s working. Sometimes seeing the damage is the first step toward fixing it. Or at least paying attention.
We’ll let you decide if that’s worth your time.
