The fairy tale wedding and fantasy honeymoon were dreams come true. Now it's back to reality as you settle in to enjoy your new life together.

Of all the issues in a marriage, money has the greatest potential to ruin it. In fact, the No. 1 killer of marriages in the United States is unresolved money conflicts, those that find their roots in common money myths:

• MYTH: Double the income, half the expenses. This is what I call newlywed fuzzy math: Merging your lives and incomes into one household is the equivalent of getting a raise. Don't believe that, not for a second.

COUNTER: Start out living on one income, and save the rest. This will require going against everything society insists you deserve, but it will allow you to move seamlessly into parenthood. When that day comes, you'll have an impressive savings account and options.

• MYTH: There's stuff we can't live without. No, there isn't. But it will be easy to convince yourselves that you absolutely must have matching furniture, new cars and all kinds of gadgets and services to make your lives easier.

COUNTER: Make a pact that you never will go into debt for "stuff." Period.

• MYTH: Some money issues are best kept private. Whether it's the $20 pedicure you launder through your grocery tab by getting cash back or the $80 cash you collected from your lunch buddies when you charged it to your credit card, keeping money secrets from your spouse is not good for your marriage. COUNTER: Start out committed to full disclosure and total honesty. That will build something into your marriage that money cannot buy: trust.

Contact Mary Hunt at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it