_ You and your spouse agreed that both of you would work a traditional brick-and-mortar job to pay your financial obligations and save for future goals. After a bit of time, you decide that you hate your job and want to quit. You want to start over with a new job.

How do you handle this type of situation?

As a couple, you must decide if it is feasible for you to quit your job and find a new job. The job market is very competitive. Younger applicants are often chosen over experienced middle-aged applicants. Sit down and review your budget. Can you, as a couple, financially afford to quit your current job for a new one?

Look at the financial goals you have as a couple. Will starting over in your middle ages prevent you from reaching those goals? Will you have to use part of your savings during the transition for starting over with a new job? Are you and your spouse willing to postpone meeting some of the financial goals while you job hunt? These are questions that only you can answer as a couple.

It is imperative to relieve financial and marital stress to make the decision together about a new job. You should not just quit your job and inform your spouse that you are no longer working. This will cause resentment and potentially create quite a few arguments.

Sit down with your spouse and decide if the transition is at the right time. Who knows, your spouse might be wishing they could start over with a new job as well. It is important to look at all the different angles and compromise on a solution. Communicating with and talking to your partner will enable you to make the best choice as a couple for you to start over in the job market.

__ There are many wonderful date ideas for winter months. The key is to be a little creative. You don’t have to break your budget or wallet to enjoy some special dates during the winter months.

Campfire Night

Build a small and safe campfire pit in the yard. Gather up wood during the warmest part of the day. Just as dusk sets in, light the fire pit. Tell childhood ghost stories and roast marshmallows over the open flame. Wrap yourselves in a blanket to break the chill and wind. Campfires are a great way to have romance outside on milder winter nights and get to know one another a little better.

Hike Through the Woods and a Dinner Date

Not every day in winter is bitterly cold. On one of the warmer days, visit your local park or lake. Hike one of the many trails available. Bring plenty of water to keep hydrated. At the end of the hike, go out to dinner together at a nearby restaurant that neither of you have visited before.

Scavenger Hunt

Make a day of visiting the different consignment, Goodwill and other shops in the area. Make a scavenger hunt list of items to find during the date. Point the items out to each other and mark them off the list. You can turn the scavenger hunt into more fun by purchasing items on the list to give to the less fortunate.

TV Series Night

Select a television series that has recently completed that neither of you watched. Hook up the television to the computer and rent the shows to watch one night a week. Have some delicious, healthy snacks to eat while you watch the shows. You can often find a TV series that is available for instant streaming. During the week talk about the show together to build anticipation for the one night a week or on the weekend that you watch the show together.

_ Recognizing abuse in a marriage is not always easy because you are clouded by your feelings, your fear and your definition of equality in a marriage. Abuse is more than just the physical aspect. There is also verbal abuse and emotional abuse – two types of abuse that many married partners are oblivious to. Some people think that because you are married you can treat your spouse any way you want. This is not true. Be alert in your marriage and recognize if you’re being abused early on to avoid further damage.

Control is probably one of the main reasons why abuse happens in a marriage. One partner wants more control and when they get it, they want even more. Take some time to analyze your relationship. Don’t cloud your thoughts over your feelings and be honest with yourself for your own sake and your children's sake. Does your partner continuously order you around to the point that they hurt or belittle you with words? Do they curse and insult you repeatedly? Do they put you down and make you feel bad about yourself? These are just a few of the questions that you should ask yourself.

Physical abuse is obvious to outsiders, yet some people don't realize that it is actually abuse. Your spouse should never hit you under any circumstances. Do not make excuses for your spouse. Just because they had a bad day or because dinner isn't on time, is not a reason for someone to hit you. For some people, physical abuse feels familiar because that is what they had in childhood. Some people will go for years thinking that being hit is ok because of this familiarity.

Curses, insults and the unequal treatment of a partner are just some situations that display abuse in a marriage. If your partner is seriously starting to make you look down on yourself, that’s already abuse. You cannot let anyone, even your partner, ruin you just because you stood in front of an altar to say “I do". If the relationship is not healthy for you, help yourself, take a stand and tell someone before it’s too late. Abuse can get out of hand to the point you could lose your own life. You deserve better!

To some people a meal is simply a meal. It isn't about bringing the family together. Sharing meals together is an ideal time to connect with your family members.

In this day and age, so many families are in a rush with their busy schedules. They don't take time to sit down together for a meal.

The family meal also offers an opportunity for parents to teach children about healthy eating. Sharing meals together is the ideal way to establish a close bond and family unity. With busy schedules and family members going in their own direction each day, most will start to feel disconnected.

Long after children leave home they will remember the tradition of family meals. Even if you do not have children, take the time to share meals with your spouse. Aren't your family members worth taking the time to let them know how much they mean to you?

_Positivity is a strong quality to have in a marriage. Giving positive energy and thoughts to each other enables the marriage to sustain itself in the rough times. Overall, life becomes very enjoyable as a couple when there are positive interactions between spouses.

Seek out the positive attributes that originally made you fall in love with your spouse. Praise your spouse on the positive behaviors that you both enjoy and wish to continue in the relationship. You are less likely to dwell on the imperfections and negatives of your spouse if you are actively seeking the positives.

Think about, and decide on, a minimum of two positive things you’d like to do each day for your marriage. For example, you could text your spouse a daily joke or positive word for thought. Don’t expect praise from your partner. Enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you are helping the marriage, not only sustain itself, but to grow stronger.

Show an active interest in your spouse’s hobbies, creative adventures and sports. Show your spouse positive and genuine interest in these activities, even if you do not actively participate.

Make it a rule to never go to sleep angry at one another. Be the first to apologize and make amends, even if you do not always feel it was your fault when the two of you argue. Apologizing doesn't have to be about owning fault, but saying you are sorry if you caused pain to the other. No couple is going to go daily without ever having an argument.

When you seek out the positive and bring more positive things to the table, you increase the positivity in your marriage. This positivity becomes the solid foundation to base the marriage upon and survive through the rough times without emotionally hurting one another.