Latest posts
-
The Secret to Managing Finances in a Relationship
In this short clip, Agnes explains how couples can organize joint finances: put at least half of each paycheck into a joint account that covers household expenses, and keep a separate personal account each so small purchases do not need the other partner’s approval.
-
Budgeting as a Couple
In this short clip, Agnes explains how couples can approach budgeting, from calling creditors directly to set up affordable payment plans instead of paying a debt relief company, to using financial counseling when a couple cannot agree. She stresses compromise and putting living expenses and childre
-
Dealing with Debt in Relationships
A short clip on what to do when you discover your partner has debt after the relationship began. Agnes says debt taken on before the relationship is the original borrower’s responsibility, though helping a partner out is a generous gesture, and suggests splitting income between a joint account and p
-
Maintaining Your Independence
Recorded on Independence Day weekend, Agnes and Ryan talk about keeping your own identity, hobbies and goals inside a relationship without pushing your partner away. They cover why you cannot change a partner, why growth and change are expected, how to explain your passions so your partner understan
-
Performance Anxiety: The Pressure of High Expectations
Agnes and Ryan talk about performance anxiety and the pressure of high expectations, from exam season and new jobs to first dates. They cover the common causes (unrealistic expectations, fear of failure, low confidence), the emotional, thinking and behavior symptoms, and practical ways to cope, incl
-
Who’s Your Daddy: Celebrating Father’s Day
For Father’s Day weekend 2024, Agnes and Ryan discuss what fathers do beyond providing: passing on wisdom, showing up when something goes wrong, and cooking and co-parenting. They cover changing family roles, stay-at-home dads and the “trad wife” trend, ignoring outside advice using the Aesop fable
-
Getting Back into the Dating Game
Ryan says he is thinking about dating again and asks Agnes for first-date advice. They cover the best day and time (a Saturday late afternoon), keeping the first meeting short with coffee and cake instead of dinner or a movie, what to ask, whether to discuss intentions, asking before physical contac
-
Marriage Counselling is a Must: Here’s Why
Agnes, a marriage counselor and wedding officiant, and Ryan explain why couples benefit from marriage counseling: unspoken differences in goals, culture, parenting, holidays and handling life changes. They also cover the unity candle ceremony, why you cannot change a partner, and Agnes’s advice to l
-
Miscommunications and Misunderstandings
On Memorial Day weekend 2024, Agnes and Ryan talk about how miscommunication and misunderstanding happen: assuming people know what you mean, third parties passing along messages, cultural differences like taking shoes off at the door, and strangers misreading looks and short texts. They give practi
-
Coming and Going: How Travel can widen your horizons and improve your Relationship
Agnes and Ryan talk about how traveling together can strengthen a relationship. Agnes describes a recent trip through Switzerland, Austria and Germany, a night in an old English hunting lodge that she loved and her husband found creepy, and trips to Iceland and Scandinavia. They cover planning, comp