When Derek and Carrie Olsen got engaged, they were quickly confronted with a major money emergency: Carrie owned a house that was facing foreclosure. Together, they sold the house (in a short sale) and started actively managing their budget to make sure they didn’t end up in that kind of situation again.

“It was through that financial disaster that we started talking about money and doing a monthly budget. We realized it brought us together as a couple, talking about all of those things. It forced team work and ended up being about so many other things, like our histories, family backgrounds, values and dreams,” says Derek Olsen. The 35-year-old adds that those discussions helped, rather than hurt, their relationship and gave them the idea to share the details of their financial life with the world.

Soon, the couple, who live in Kansas City, Missouri, with their 10-month-old daughter Amelie, launched a blog and podcast at derekandcarrie.com. Their new book, "One Bed One Bank Account: Better Conversations on Money and Marriage,” comes out this week.

On the blog, they share the most personal details about their finances: They post their monthly budget, assets and debt, and also talk about them in their popular podcast. They’ve shared their journey from being a dual-income couple – when Carrie held a corporate job and Derek worked as a sales manager for an ice cream company – to a work-at-home couple with a baby. Their income currently comes primarily from Carrie’s work as a voice over actress as well as book sales and writing freelance articles.

They’re also open about the fact they each grew up under very different financial circumstances, and share how that has influenced their current attitudes toward money. Derek grew up in relative affluence, with his parents able to pay for his and his three siblings’ college tuition, a nice house and cars. His parents talked to him about the importance of saving and investment. Carrie, meanwhile, grew up with three siblings and a single mom was often in debt and late on bill payments. “If we talked about money, it was because we had to borrow it or we were out of it,” she says.

Underneath those experiences, though, Carrie, 31, says she and Derek share similar attitudes of frugality . “I wanted to save. I just hadn’t been able to. Once I learned how to do it, I was on board,” she says.

That’s one advantage they have over many couples. According to a SunTrust survey of 2,030 adults released this month, people are more likely to think of themselves as the “saver” in a relationship and their partner as the “spender,” with half reporting that they have different spending habits from their partner. Just 37 percent of respondents considered both themselves and their partners savers, as Carrie and Derek do.

At first, Carrie says, she was a little hesitant to share her financial life online, but says she soon realized that lifting the secrecy that surrounds money topics was part of their purpose. “We knew it would be a helpful thing to show not just how we [manage our money], but also to dispel the fact that no one talks about how much money they make, no one talks about budgeting. We felt it was important to break that down,” she says. She adds that it’s gratifying to receive such strong support and feedback from their online community of readers and listeners.

That’s not to say there haven’t been conflicts along the way. A couple years ago, when Derek’s favorite band was coming to town, he really wanted to splurge on the $200 tickets. Carrie was vehemently against it. Soon after that discussion, Carrie suggested purchasing a $200 softball bat for the team they played on together. This time, it was Derek’s turn to resist. After talking through their priorities and budget , they ended up buying both the tickets and the bat.

If Derek and Carrie’s story is inspiring you to talk money with your romantic partner, consider these tips from the couple:

1. Use one bank account . While the Olsens acknowledge that this approach isn’t for every couple, they find it works best for them, as the title of their book suggests. “I think it’s easier to organize your money, and it also allows us to have those conversations when we do our budget every month,” Derek says. The SunTrust survey found that only about two-thirds of couples first get advice from their partner before making significant purchases. While the Olsens generally run all purchases by each other, they each have about $50 per month to spend however they want.

2. Create a monthly budget together. Every month, the Olsens sit down side-by-side to review the previous month’s expenditures and plan for the next one. They find that time together also helps their relationship. “It’s connected us as a couple and is part of building our life together,” Derek says.

3. Create a five-year plan. Thinking about their long-term goals has sparked discussions about their deepest life values, Derek says. “A five-year plan has done so much good for us. You get to look into the future and say, ‘What do we want?’” he says. The answer can include everything from career choices to children to travel.

Derek and Carrie’s five-year plan includes building their net worth to the $1 million mark, which they will achieve in about 17.5 years at their current pace, and also to give away $100,000. They’re confident they’ll get there together.

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