Financial concerns or difficulties can cause a great deal of stress in a marriage so it is important to do your best to ensure that you do not allow your financial situation to destroy your marriage.

When financial concerns come up it is important to discuss the problems so that both partners are aware of what is going on and to work on establishing a budget together. Working together on this issue will make sure that neither partner feels left out of the decision making process and neither partner bears the stress of worrying about finances on their own.

Sharing household responsibilities with each other is another secret to a happy marriage. If either partner feels as though they are taking on too much responsibility in the household it can lead to resentment. Not only does sharing these responsibilities prevent resentment but it also gives the couple an opportunity to work as a team which strengthens their bond. Both partners need to take an active role in completing household chores and let their partner know if they are beginning to feel overburdened. Never make your partner feel like a certain job is always their responsibility.

Open and honest communication is also necessary for a happy marriage. Without communication the relationship will continually struggle. It's important to be honest with your partner and share your concern and to listen to what your partner has to say and make an effort to understand their point of view. Communicating about problems and concerns is important but it's also important to communicate about your aspirations and even your daily lives. All of these types of communication bring a couple closer together and foster a happy marriage. Don't shut your partner out.

Along the lines of open communication, it's also important that you let your partner know if they have said or done some thing to hurt you. Failure to do so will allow the problem to continue to cause problems in the marriage. If you bottle up your feelings your partner will be unaware of what they have done to hurt you and may be likely to repeat their actions. You also may begin to avoid your partner because you are angry and you don't want to start a confrontation. Your partner in turn may sense you behaving differently and be annoyed by your behavior. Simply coming out and telling your partner why you are upset can help you avoid this unnecessary host of problems.

Understanding that you and your partner won't always be in complete agreement is also critical to a happy marriage. While you may agree on a lot of things it's unrealistic to believe that you and your partner will be in sync at all times. It's okay to disagree sometimes as long as you respect each other's feelings and beliefs and do not think that any one disagreement will be the end of the relationship.

Spontaneity is also an important part of a happy marriage. Allowing yourselves to fall into a predictable pattern can lead to boredom but being spontaneous at times will prevent boredom from setting in and keep the relationship interesting. Be spontaneous, go out and get a new negligee or some other lingerie item for yourself if you are a woman, if you are a husband reading this, go get something for your wife!

Finally, remembering why you married your spouse is one of the most important secrets of a happy marriage. Always remembering what it is about your partner that drew you to them will make certain that you never forget your love for your partner. It will also ensure that they are always beautiful in your eyes. Many things may change throughout the course of your marriage but the one thing that will always remain is the reason you fell in love in the first place.

A happy marriage is not guaranteed no matter how much the partners love each other. There are so many variables that can have an affect on the happiness and success of the marriage. It is important that both partners realize that they must continuously work on all of these aspects if they want their marriage to remain a happy and healthy relationship.