Clark is one man who lived a true bachelor's life before getting married to his wife Lane in 1995. At that time, all he had in his home was used or damaged furniture he'd gotten at repossession sales. Over the years, his wife purged every piece of used furniture except one -- a little love seat that she still lets him keep. Life involves compromise. Clark came into the marriage with "cheap" stitched across his forehead. His wife was the exact opposite, preferring taste over budget pricing. They've each had to learn to tone down their natural inclinations a bit over the years.

Recently they were looking for a comforter set for their 2 year old, who is transitioning from a crib to a bed and really loves trains. So Lane was online and had found a train comforter that cost $320. Clark was about ready to croak over the price. He asked his wife if he could look online for a few minutes on his computer. After visiting the usual closeout/clearance sites, he found a similar train comforter set for $39. His wife looked at it, loved it and told him to make the purchase.

That's the spirit of compromise. You have to look for a place where you can meet in the middle. There was recently a story about "financial infidelity" in the media. It's so common that couples hide things from each other about money, which in turn creates distance in other areas of their lives. It's not a good idea. While Clark and Lane don't need each other's permission to spend, they try to be respectful of one another when it comes to joint purchases like those for the house. It isn't always easy; Lane believes in taste, while Clark believes in price and has no sense of taste!