In fact, money is often cited as one of the leading causes of arguments, disagreements, and resentment towards each other!

If you've felt like this, you're not alone. Many people find themselves stuck on the brink of taking this crucial step.

So, based on my personal experience, here are 3 ways you could address the elephant in the room and start talking about money with your partner.

Don’t just drop the bomb all of a sudden! Start off by mentioning the topic casually.

Gauge how your partner reacts to it and take it forward from there. A sudden, brash “we need to talk” may scare the hell out of your partner and that’s the last thing you’d want.

Don’t you love when someone asks for your opinion before making an important decision? Sure you would! It’s human nature after all.

You could break the ice by asking for your partner’s advice regarding an important financial decision - such as your retirement together (think: KiwiSaver), or, saving for the overseas holiday you've always wanted.

By asking for advice, it softens the approach and likely makes your partner more receptive to discussing money matters further.

We’ve all been there and done that, haven’t we? Admitting and accepting your financial mistakes (or beliefs) from earlier in your life may invoke a reciprocal gesture from your partner. For me, this was addressing the belief I learnt early in my life that "money is the root of all evil".

By doing so, you can give the more serious conversations a gentle nudge but also understand each other’s long-standing beliefs and decision making patterns better.

These 3 simple icebreakers could really help kickstart your money-related conversations with your partner.

Let me know how you get on below.