I’m Dee
30+ years married
About Dee Zimmerman – Money Coach for Couples
Marriage isn’t easy. Marriage + money? Also not easy.
My husband is great, and like most couples, we’re still learning. Coaching other couples has made us better, too.
If you love each other but avoid money talks (or get stuck when you try) you’re in the right place. We’ll build practical skills and simple systems to manage money, together.
Money rarely creates problems on its own. More often, it exposes pressure that’s already there. You start with good intentions—to plan, to save, to feel more secure—but conversations get tense quickly. Follow-through slips. Trust in the plan erodes.
Over time, stress replaces confidence. Decisions feel heavier than they should. Avoidance creeps in, even when nothing is technically “wrong.” The result isn’t just financial strain, it’s the sense that you’re no longer working as a team, and that the future you imagined feels harder to reach.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not failing. Most couples were never taught how to combine two histories, two nervous systems, and one set of numbers into a shared way forward. This work is hard not because you’re doing it wrong, but because you’ve been doing it without a structure that actually supports partnership.
Where this gets hard.
New here? Take the Money Talks Quiz
I’ll be honest, approachable, compassionate, and direct. My role is to help you slow things down, understand what’s really happening beneath the surface, and make thoughtful decisions together, without judgment or pressure.
This is private, guided work that balances your conversations and emotions around money with practical structure. That means addressing how you talk about money, how decisions get made, and how your systems either support or undermine the life you’re trying to build.
We’ll work through my RISE framework: Reflect, Interrupt, Streamline, and Empower—a progression designed to create change that actually lasts. We begin by building awareness and shared understanding, then interrupt patterns that create tension or stall progress. From there, we put simple, effective systems in place so managing money feels easier and more intentional, and wealth can grow with purpose.
Between sessions, your work is supported by a comprehensive online curriculum with short video lessons and practical tools. This gives you shared language, structure, and direction between our conversations, so progress continues even when we’re not meeting live
How we’ll work together.
(It’s not just spreadsheets)
A brief conversation to understand your situation and see what support would be most helpful.
My Story.
How my past shapes how I coach couples today.
We budget for joy. Mine’s tennis. What’s yours?
Here’s the real scoop.
I grew up seeing how different money perspectives can strain a marriage. My parents were rarely on the same page; the long-term cost was very real. It taught me to care more about the conversation than how much we made, or how we used a spreadsheet.
It also made me a learner, and a doer. I wanted to “do money well,” without handing it over to someone else to manage. And I wanted to work with my husband as a team, aligned on our dreams and building wealth together; to have the financial freedom to do what mattered most to us.
After serving in ministry and parenting kids with mental health challenges, I began my financial work in 2020. Those challenging experiences taught me how to navigate hard things, while taking care of myself, and the people I love.
While coaching, I’ve discovered that I particularly love working with couples. So I decided to get really good at it. Now I help couples like you with the hard times and the hard talks, so you can hold on to the hope that’s yours—to live with more freedom, joy, and purpose. (And pass that legacy to your kids.)
This is why I focus on partnership, not perfection. I care about how decisions are made in your relationship, not just what the numbers say. It’s also why my work is research-informed and thoughtfully designed to help couples move forward together, with confidence and trust.
Tiny Brag File.
My quick version. I hope it can help you decide.
Podcast guest: Hello Someday (Top 1% Mental Health podcast globally), Stronger Marriage Connection, Laugh, Lend and Eat, and Couples Connect.
Current Work: Private couples work through a diagnostic-first model, supported by structured financial analysis and online curriculum.
Proprietary frameworks: WealthTalk Guide (Gottman-informed money communication) and MoneyOps System (simple routines and light automation).
Want a simple way to stay connected?
Each week, I share short reflections on money, partnership, and building a calmer financial life together. No pressure. Just perspective.