Finances

When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He gave him a helpmeet, Eve.  Helpmeet means equal partner.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard a man jokingly say, "I earn the money and she spends it."  Some men feel that as long as they provide the paycheck, that their job with finances is done.  They figure that the wife usually handles things like the budget, grocery shopping, and paying the bills anyways.  Maybe you, the husband, are the one who handles all the money and your wife lives in a care-free, oblivious world where as long as she has plastic and checks in her wallet, she can buy to her heart's content.  That leaves you with the pressure of having to constantly earn enough so your "princess" can have whatever she wants.  Finances must be 50/50 with both sides being mature, responsible adults.  The husband and the wife should be equally, actively involved with the finances regardless of who brings home paychecks, pays bills, etc.
The budget should be done every month with both people sitting down and agreeing to what is written out.  I think the main reason couples don't do this is because money is one of the most common problems husbands and wives fight about.  I have found in my 10 years of marriage that when you don't talk about money and aren't both actively involved, that's when there is contention about money.  When both of you sit down and feel like you are both engaged in handling your money, there is harmony in marriage over money matters.  There is also a meeting of the minds where both people feel empowered.  Let's be honest, regardless of your financial situation, many people would agree that they feel stress when it comes to money.  We can choose to both carry that weight alone, or we can choose to carry that weight together, as partners, hand in hand.  For the sake of your marriage, carry it together.  Be the husband your wife deserves and help her with the load instead of letting her struggle with it alone.
So where do we begin?  There are many financial helps: books at the library, shows on TV, websites, etc.  The first thing to do is talk with your spouse.  Tell them that you both need to be on the same page when it comes to money.  Sit down and look at your finances.  How much is your combined income?  How much is your debt?  If you are married, then the total income is both of yours and that debt is both of yours.  Start out by doing a monthly budget.  You have to do this every month.  While many of the expenses might remain the same month after month, your budget is rarely the exact same every month.  Once you figure out a budget for this month, commit to each other that you will stick to it.  This takes self control, especially if you aren't used to living on a budget.  Be realistic when you are creating your budget.  Do you really only spend $100 a month on food (groceries and eating out)?  You will be setting yourself up to fail if you are not realistic.
I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey.  One of the main reasons I like him so much is because his plan is broken down into Baby Steps.  I love having a plan and I can focus on one step at a time and not get overwhelmed.   
Baby Step #1 is a baby emergency fund of $1000 in savings.  It should be in a savings account that is easy to get a hold of in case there is an emergency, but let's define an emergency.  A new dress is not an emergency.  Your car's air conditioning going out in July in Texas would be an emergency.  Christmas is not an emergency.  An unexpected illness is an emergency.  After you get that $1000 in the bank, it's time for #2 which is your debt snowball.
Baby Step #2 In this step you list all your debts except for your house in order from smallest amount to largest amount.  It doesn't matter what the interest rate is.  Pay only the minimum payment on all the debt except for the smallest.  So let's say you have 3 debts.  You have a medical bill that is $200, a credit card that is $500 and a student loan that is $10,000.  You pay the min. payment on the credit card and the student loan and you take any extra money that you can squeeze out of your budget and you pay towards your medical bill.  Once that is paid off, you take the money you were using to pay it off plus the minimum payment for the credit card and you start chipping away at the credit card.  See why it's called a snowball.  As you pay things off, the amount you have to put towards your next debt keeps growing.  When you are debt-free except for your house, you move onto
Baby Step #3 which is a fully-funded emergency fund of 3-6 months.  So if your monthly income is $4000/month, you need $12,000-$24,000 set aside in an emergency fund.  This is for bigger emergencies like loss of job.  Once you've saved up 3-6 months of expenses, if you do not own a home, this is where you would begin saving for a down payment.  Dave Ramsey recommends at least 20 % down (he actually recommends you buying your home with cash, but most of us can't do that).  He also recommends that you get a 15 year fixed mortgage with a payment no bigger than 25% of your take-home pay.
Baby Step #4 is to put 15% of your income into retirement.  If your employer has a match for your 401K, contribute up to the match and then fund a Roth IRA with the rest of the 15 %.
Baby Step #5 is college savings in either an Educational Savings Account or a 529 (but he's picky about 529's).
Baby Step #6 is to pay off your home.
Baby Step #7 is to Build Wealth by saving and investing and to give.
I highly recommend taking Financial Peace University if there is one near you.  You pay for one person and your spouse attends free and you have a lifetime membership.
At daveramsey.com, you can also find budget forms to help you begin your budget.  I know that it may seem a bit overwhelming, but I promise, once you begin and you get on the same page with money, you will have one area of your life and your marriage that is secure and brings peace.  Good luck!