Why Pinoy Couples Fight About Money

And seven ways to avoid financial disagreements

- Jane Kingsu Cheng

Within a span of two weeks, news about two couples who fought over money circulated online. Vlogger China Roces who used her partner Tim Sawyer’s Facebook account to stream their ongoing argument about money issues, while comedian Gladys Guevarra went live in the same platform to explain to her followers why she cancelled all their orders, claiming that her partner Leon Sumagui ran away with a day’s cash amount worth of deliveries.

This lockdown has been testing each and everyone of us. Arguments will arise one way or another, but if money is involved, conflicts get even more complicated. And one of the biggest sources of arguments in the family, more so between couples, is money. In the early years of their marriage, parenting advocate and financial speaker Carl Dy admits that he wasn’t used to supporting a whole household. “I took for granted the benefits of living with my parents, so the extra financial responsibility was a burden. My wife Jenny and I were different when it came to handling money—I was a spender, and she was a saver,” says Carl.

Over 17 years of marriage, they have equipped themselves on money management. Attending financial seminars and being mentored by their church leaders, they now hold parenting and financial talks as part of their advocacy. Jenny adds, “We got to know and adjust to each other’s financial DNA. We have adopted changes which allowed us to tweak our views about money and each other. We respect and understand each other more now, valuing the difference in opinion and financial habits.”