Suze's Money Smackdowns

Fighting about money is the number one cause of divorce in the United States. From the outside, it looks as if Greer and her husband, David, have a great life—a nice house, good jobs and a good marriage. In reality, Greer and David are dangerously close to divorce.

Greer and David purchased a house in October 2006 before they sold their old one. They also purchased two new cars in March 2007. "When we moved into the house, we spent $5,000 alone on the countertops. We spent $4,000 on the fence and another $2,000 on the kitchen table and chairs," Greer says. Altogether, David estimates they have funneled about $20,000 into the house.

But their spending doesn't stop at the house. David says he's put about $1,000 into his golf clubs—and bought $100 golf clubs for his 4-year-old daughter. "His spending habits are out of control," Greer says.

For Christmas, Greer received a Nintendo Wii video game system. "I love my wife. I do. I love my kids," David says. "I look at the $200 or $250 that I spent on that, you know, to be able to have quality time with them? It's just priceless."

David estimates they are $20,000–$30,000 in debt. When Suze reviews their finances, she finds they are spending $6,000 more than what they have each month. "Every month when I open the bills, I'm always worried about what am I going to be able to pay now or what am I going to be able to float to the next month," Greer says.