It’s not a romantic topic, but it’s perhaps the most important one.

There are many reasons why we fall in love, but there’s one big reason we fall out of it: money.

Valentine’s Day is over, but the lessons aren’t. Every year leading up to the lovers’ holiday, companies commission opinion polls for two purposes:

  1. Learn what those lovers are willing to spend, and on what products, so they can focus their sales efforts.
  2. Get free publicity from websites like this one, who will share the intriguing results.

Now that the roses have wilted, I’ve culled all the money-related Valentine’s Day surveys and plucked the most interesting tidbits…

Hiding money from the one you love

Have you ever spent more than $100 without telling our partner? According to CreditCards.com, 41 percent of us have. Meanwhile, 19 percent have hidden purchases of more than $500.

Who are the worst offenders? “Men are almost twice as likely as women to have spent more than $500 without notifying their spouse or partner,” CreditCards.com says.

Why we break up

Being “secretive about finances” is one big reason relationships fail, according to GoBankingRates. Nearly 36 percent of couples say that’s their “biggest financial turnoff.” That’s just shy of the nearly 38 percent who say “overspending” is what drags down their relationships. Next on the list is “too much debt” at just over 32 percent.

Interestingly, being “too cheap” is just under 20 percent. The conclusion? We’re turned off more by spending too much than too little.

And now for some good news

Love-and-money research isn’t always depressing. GoBankingRates also asked, “How much do you feel should be spent on an engagement ring?” The results were encouraging: 36 percent aid less than $1,000 and only 17 percent said, “money is no object.”

Now, I’m not a cold-hearted or unromantic person, but I’ve seen too many couples overspend on their engagement and wedding – then argue about money so much, it tears apart their relationship. As you can see from the previous studies, that’s a major reason couples split up.

Conclusion: Love is powerful stuff, but money can erode it over time if you’re not careful.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and/or policies of Debt.com.

About the Author

Howard Dvorkin, CPA

Howard Dvorkin, CPA

I’m a certified public accountant who has authored two books on getting out of debt, Credit Hell and Power Up, and I am one of the personal finance experts for Debt.com. I have focused my professional endeavors in the consumer finance, technology, media and real estate industries creating not only Debt.com, but also Financial Apps and Start Fresh Today, among others. My personal finance advice has been included in countless articles, and has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Forbes and Entrepreneur as well as virtually every national and local newspaper in the country. Everyone should have a reason for living that’s bigger than themselves, and besides my family, mine is this: Teaching Americans how to live happily within their means. To me, money is not the root of all evil. Poor money management is. Money cannot buy happiness, but going into debt always buys misery. That’s why I launched Debt.com. I’m glad you’re here.

Published by Debt.com, LLC