Young married couples: You probably found out quickly how much your money situations have changed.

In a marriage with good communication and financial planning, tying the knot can boost the well-being and financial security of both spouses.

But if there is no communication about money between spouses, financial snags can destabilize your precious marriage.

Here are some issues that experts say stress out marriages. By recognizing them early, you might save your marriage -- and your pocketbook -- much pain.

It's logical, with a new marriage, to want a lot of new things, warns Megan Franks, frugal living expert for Dollar Stretcher at www.stretcher.com.

After all, you're starting a whole new life with a new person. Many young couples want to buy a new car right after tying the knot. To afford the monthly payments, they get longer-term loans or go for zero percent financing.

Despite zero percent financing, extended warranties and cash-back offers, these people end up paying more for the car. Cars depreciate in value dramatically as soon as they're driven off the lot.

"Very few couples actually keep the vehicles from their early marriage for an extended period because circumstances can change quickly," Franks said.

Did you get married directly after living with parents? Don't fall into the trap of assuming you can start out with the same things your parents had.

Giving into the desire to immediately buy a home you can't afford is a surefire way to get over your head in debt.

Another issue that can cause marital trouble is the desire to keep up financially with your spouse. Often one spouse has a higher-paying job than the other. Better to realize this early and nip it in the bud. Perhaps the higher earner can offer to pay a bit more of the expenses. The trick is to acknowledge the other spouse's equally valuable contribution to the marriage -- apart from the financial one. Have a dialog about this upfront.

Debt also can be a real marriage killer. There may be school loans and credit cards, notes Jill Gianola, author of "The Young Couples Guide to Growing Rich Together" (McGraw-Hill).

It's particularly rough to deal with the family's finances when you're just starting a marriage and money is scarce. But you can take charge of your lives.

Gianola advises that if both of you have health insurance plans, see if you can save money if one of you switches to the other's lower-cost plan. Evaluate whether consolidating auto and property insurance coverage with one insurer can produce savings.

Already having financial trouble? Her advice:

Communicate with your lenders. Try to negotiate a lower rate of interest or stretch out your payments. Then continue to pay on time.

Consider getting help with a reputable nonprofit credit counseling organization. But first, make certain the organization truly will help you. Always check counselor qualifications. If you are enticed to set up a debt-management plan, find out how it works and obtain in writing what fees may be required upfront and monthly. Make certain your payments are properly credited, and don't miss any monthly payments while the program is being set up.

Once you are debt-free, set up an emergency fund in a savings account to cover immediate expenses. Then, consider investing monthly in mutual funds.

The younger you are, the more it pays to invest in riskier well-managed stocks or stock mutual funds. But always make certain you are diversified, so that you lose less in down markets.