Make sure you and your spouse are on the same financial page.

Experts recommend couples discuss financial details and create a written plan together.

Establish what you have

Whether you're saving for a down payment or paying down credit card debt, you need to know what you already have before you set financial goals. Review your current joint income and debts and assets. Sit down with financial statements and add up balances and estimated values. Know what the breakdown is of your individual holdings and what the grand total comes to.

Set financial goals

What do you both value and agree should be your top financial goals? Establish savings goals. Write down these goals in specific terms and establish a priority list.

Make a plan

Now that you know your priorities, develop a plan you can both live with. How much will you set aside each month to put toward a goal? Will the savings come from a joint account and be withdrawn automatically to help you stick to the plan? Figure out the specifics, write them down, and make sure every step in your plan is actionable.

Update your plan

Follow up after you've put a plan in motion. Personal finance blogger Free Money Finance describes reviewing a presentation that he prepares annually showing his family's financials. It includes assets, spending categories, growth in net worth, financial issues to discuss and where his wife can find all the key documents. At the beginning of the year, the couple establishes a budget, and during the summer, they review his financial presentation to see how they're doing and what needs to be tweaked. They work as a team, put goals in writing and review their progress at regular intervals.