Ah, being a newlywed. Life is beautiful, your loved one is beautiful, and everything is peaches and cream. Well, in your mind and heart it may be, but the honeymoon has to end sometime. Two hearts are now joined as one, and so are your assets. It’s time to start sorting out your finances as a couple.

In your single days, you were able to earn and spend as you please. Wanted a new TV? You bought one. Decided to sell your car? You sold it. But now you are part of a team, and your money decisions have to include your partner, too. Even right down to what brand of toilet paper you buy, your spending habits affect you as a couple from now on. Your significant other may not care whether you choose Angel Soft or Charmin, but he or she may care about the grocery bill.

Money problems are the number one cause of divorce. That’s because the transition into a shared financial life is not an easy one, no matter how deeply you are in love with your spouse. At the start of a marriage, a couple’s finances may not be totally stable, and to compound the problem, the tendency is to run out and buy stuff. You’re in such a happy time, and you just know that you’ll be able to pay off that plasma TV in a couple of months. Why wouldn’t you? Things are looking up and your life is going places. Unfortunately, one of the first places young newlyweds go is straight into debt. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Common sense decisions from the beginning can keep your credit card debt low or non-existent and your money going towards mutual life goals. Here are a few tips on how to begin sharing your financial life together, by saving money and spending wisely as a team:

1. Dine In

When you were dating, romantic nights out on the town were the norm. But now that you have a lifetime together, you can start enjoying your new household by holding special romantic dinners at home. A little candle light, a little mood music, and even frozen dinner can be romantic–and cheaper!

2. Shop Together

You know how every time you go to the store, you wonder if you need milk? Your spouse does too, and one day, you will both come home with a gallon. Then you have way more milk than you can drink before the expiration date, and you’ve just wasted some money. Plus, strolling the aisles together can actually become a weekly “date night”.