Really? Marriage advice? From the man who has had “relations” with 4 different women while still married to Kate Gosselin.

Might as well ask Nicolas Cage for sound advice on wise financial choices.

Even better than the ridiculous question was Jon’s hypocritical answer. His advice?

“Communication” between the partners, and to “stay true”.

Creditcards.com has 10 steps to follow to help keep the money matters civil with your spouse. Perhaps it couldn’t hurt for Jon and Kate to try some of these out.

1. Don’t blow a windfall
The Gosselins earned an estimated $2.25 milllion from their TLC network TV program, not counting proceeds from book sales, appearances and endorsements. However, like so many instant millionaires, they (Jon, perhaps, in particular) may be mismanaging their wealth. After announcing their divorce plans, he went on a spending spree; allegedly dropping $950 on a pair of shoes, leasing a $5,000 per month Manhattan apartment, buying luxury cars and taking lavish vacations. Yet with eight kids to support, necessisities can exhaust even a large net worth.

If you’re lucky enough to come into prosperity or get a job that pays far above the norm, continue to spend sensibly. Rather than take a perpetual paycheck for granted, assume your past earnings will need to stretch deep into the future. Heed this advice more during separation, as overspending accusations can become fodder for costly legal battles.

2. Don’t take your eyes off the cards
Kate was recently witnessed trying to pay for gas with a credit card, which was declined in front of frenzied paparazzi. What happened? Presuming it was a joint account, someone likely forgot to pay the bill, the balance was at or over the limit or the credit line was suspended. Another possibility, says Andy Jolls, founder of The VideoCreditScore.com, is if she and Jon were charging at multiple service stations in quick succession, the creditor suspected something was wrong, triggered a fraud alert and froze the card.

Whether or not you’re in the limelight, having plastic returned in this way can leave you red-faced and in a bind. Especially if you’re a joint cardholder, check the balance, payment history, and account status before charging.

Know how much you need for everyday expenses and plan for them. Disregard the basics at your peril, says Rob Jupille, president of RTJ Financial Management out of Santa Monica, Calif. “A short time of ignoring can result in long-term problems. We see credit card balances go up, missed payments, and increased interest rates. One late deposit can result in many bounced checks.”

Click here to read the remaining seven suggestions.

The Examiner.com has this article in relation to marriage and children:

In light of the seemingly “national tragedy” that is the John & Kate Plus 8 split making headlines from CNN to the Baltimore Sun, I got to thinking about yet another surprisingly unfortunate statistic I learned in college during one of my sociology courses. It stated that couples with children have a higher divorce rate than the national average alone, and also experience lower marital satisfaction than couples without kids. (Don’t shoot the messenger).

In a book I read recently, titled 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married, authors Linda and Charlie Bloom discuss in one of their chapters the dilemmas that challenge an otherwise healthy marriage, and that is putting your children above all else. This chapter begins with the bold statement: Your primary relationship is with your partner, not your children.

Immediately, my thoughts diverted to the most famous reality couple in America, John and Kate Gosselin, the young parents of twins and sextuplets – eight children in total – who’s infamous split sent shock waves through the family-oriented, TLC-watching community. Sure, it may have been the alleged 23-year-old mistress Jon was seeing, or maybe they did just “grow apart” as was stated in an interview; but if a couple is commonly overwhelmed with the pressure of having one child, imagine eight. Read on…

This thoughtful essay had this to say:

One happily-wed Rice University graduate told me: “Marriage can work. You just have to have a good understanding of one another.” I think that is the best advice I have yet received. I’d just like to add, though, that once you have that understanding of one another, you have to use that understanding to make the other person happy. Because people can understand each other and still be cruel to one another.

After hearing reasons for failed relationships as well as for successful ones, I have come to the following conclusion: marriage is like a business relationship with your best friend. Having fun and confiding in each other is key, but you also need to make sure you are compatible on a variety of levels – religion, family values, career. Then, see if you can really live together – all those annoying habits and pet peeves included. If your goals for the future don’t match, then how can you expect to stay together for a life time?

Marriages and vows are about a sacred bond made between two people and the company of heaven.  All the celebration and blessing of a marriage requires is a couple, a qualified officiant, a license, and witnesses.  Everything else, including rings, is superfluous. Weddings, however, require many things, and these things often distract couples from what they really are doing when they say, “I do.”