Plan finances well for marital bliss, couples told

LOVE and affection alone will not sustain a marriage. Couples must know how to plan their finances and domestic economy to make their relationship work better, said the Association of Domestic Economy.

Utusan Malaysia reported association president Prof Dr Hapsah Mohd Nawawi as saying that failure to make such plans was the main reason behind many divorces today.

She said it would be almost impossible to sustain a marriage if a couple’s finances were in bad shape, as money is an essential element in a union.

“In managing a household, there should be a budget and planning which is agreeable to both husband and wife. Failure to plan can result in a disarray in finances and can lead to strained relations between the couple and ultimately, divorce,” she was quoted as saying.

Dr Hapsah said most women today had adopted a principle whereby their husband’s money belonged to them while their hard-earned salary would only be theirs for the spending.

She said this was against marriage, which was for sharing and caring.

She added that divorces were more prevalent in cities, as couples had more options of how they wanted to lead their lives.

For example, said Dr Hapsah, couples who had been married for some years might feel they wanted changes and this could lead to the presence of a third person.

“Lack of communication also contributes to break-ups. Couples must learn to discuss their problems rationally to avoid having to choose divorce to settle differences,” she said.

The paper also reported that the Education Ministry would set up pre-school classes at all government schools by 2007.

Education director-general Datuk Abdul Rafie Mahat said 1,000 such classes had been opened at primary schools nationwide this year.

“Our aim is by 2007, all of the 8,000 primary schools under the ministry would have pre-school classes,” he said.

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