Is money causing tension in your relationship? What experts say you can do

Love languages have become a popular way for couples to understand their relationship, but experts say the theory lacks scientific evidence.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but recent data shows that for many Canadian couples, the rising cost of living is leading to conflict instead of romance.

A report from BMO’s Real Financial Progress Index released Thursday found that about one-third of Canadian couples (32 per cent) say money is often a source of tension in their relationship.

Thirty-five per cent of partnered respondents said they believe their significant other spends too much money.

“Many couples continue to underestimate the emotional implications involved with money (which) can lead to miscommunication, disappointment and conflict,” said Gayle Ramsay, head of everyday banking at BMO, in a press release.

Ramsay says it’s important for couples to communicate their financial expectations early and frequently, but what happens when conflict damages the very foundation of a relationship?

Though Feb. 14 is typically hallmarked by pink flowers and chocolate, experts say the trendy concept of “love languages” is not the answer to bringing partners closer together.

“It’s bogus because it’s on a very superficial level,” relationship psychologist Dr. Sue Johnson told Global News.

Gary Chapman’s 30-year-old book, The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, was recently put under the spotlight by researchers at the University of Toronto.