There are a lot of factors that make a marriage successful, and one of the more important ones is money.

During the current nationwide economic downslide, it is more important than ever for couples to make sure they keep their finances in order, consumer and family counselors say. That’s the first step in “recession-proofing” a marriage, says Vickie Hull, a marriage and family therapist at Lawrence Therapy Services, 2200 Harvard Road.

“Money is always an issue in marriage, and it is one of those things they need to be able to communicate about,” Hull says.

That means a couple needs to agree on what and where they need to spend their money.

“It’s a matter of being able to openly have a discussion about money and not have any secrets from each other,” Hull says.

Agreeing with Hull was Wes Crenshaw, a psychologist at Family Therapy Institute Midwest, 2601 W. Sixth St and columnist for the Journal-World.

Couples need to talk about luxuries they once took for granted but now could be jettisoned, Crenshaw says. That list might include eating out or entertainment expenses. They can put off purchasing new televisions or cell phones if the old ones are still working. And any consumer item that takes interest bearing credit needs to be deferred — maybe forever, Crenshaw says.

Many couples include one partner who is a spendthrift and another who is frugal, and often the differing mind-sets lead to arguments, Crenshaw says.

“This is a good time for the spendthrift to get an inexpensive hobby and let the frugal one take over the major decisions on finance, with advice and support from the rest of the family,” Crenshaw says.

When the economy began its downslide last year, many families already owed a lot of money, says Robert Baker, a counselor at Housing and Credit Counseling Inc., 2518 Ridge Court. In fact, the average family in this country owes $11,000 in revolving credit such as credit cards, Baker says. Interest on that debt is likely to be at least 18 percent. If your credit balance is nearing its limit, then card companies could raise your interest all the way up to 28 percent.

Baker’s advice to couples in debt: Pay as much as you can each month to get rid of it. He also warned against obtaining money from the so-called “payday loan” businesses. Consumer studies have shown that 85 percent of the customers at those businesses are unable to repay their loans by their deadline.

Another recession-proof measure recommended by both Crenshaw and Baker is dusting off an old skill and using it to save or make money or learning a new skill. That means planting a garden to grow some of your food and learning basic home and car maintenance skills.

“If you have the time to learn to do those things you can probably save $400 to $500 a year,” Baker says.

As grim as things may get in the months ahead, couples also need to keep the joy alive in the marriage, Crenshaw says. In the past that was done spending money on trips and dining out.

“This is a good time to get old-fashioned and enjoy less expensive things like walks in the park, local live music and board games,” Crenshaw says.

The best marriages are built on open communication, trust, honesty and friendship, Hull says.

“Money can cause a lot of conflict in a marriage, and I always warn people that divorce is extremely expensive,” she says. “The average divorce now costs about $20,000. We don’t want to look at that as a solution.”