Married 3 Days and He Didn't Keep His Word

A woman recently married, Natalie, is facing immediate marital conflict regarding finances. She and her husband, who dated for a year before marrying, had discussed being debt-free and combining finances to pay off debt. However, just days after their wedding, her husband stated he would not give up his credit cards because he doesn't consider them debt. Natalie explained that any owed money is debt and that the $200-$300 payments could go into savings. Her husband views the cards as an emergency fund and insists on continuing to use them, despite their prior agreement. The core issue, according to the hosts, is not merely the disagreement over credit cards, but the husband's disrespect and inability to keep his word. This behavior, they argue, indicates a deeper character flaw that will manifest in other areas of their marriage beyond money. The husband's stance of "I do whatever the heck I want to do" shows a lack of respect for Natalie's opinion and their shared commitments. The hosts emphasize that the husband's actions demonstrate a fundamental lack of respect for his new wife, rather than treasuring and serving her. Since they are now married, his financial mistakes will impact her for life. The hosts suggest that Natalie's relationship has a "really weak" foundation due to this conflict. They advise her to create a "relationship crisis" by seeking immediate marriage counseling to address the underlying issues of trust and respect. If he cannot keep his word or honor her, they suggest considering annulment. They stress the urgency of addressing this now to prevent long-term division in their new marriage, advocating for a third party to help them align on value systems and goals.