Are you hiding purchases from your spouse?

Improve your money behaviorA third of consumers say they hide purchases from their spouse or significant other largely to avoid an argument over money, according to a Western Union survey.

The company's Money Mindset Index noted that the financial misconduct is a result of the tough times in the economy that has generated high stress levels in many households.

That behavior, however, could lead to an even tougher holiday shopping season and place more stress on relationships, the survey noted.

Western Union also found in the survey of 3,000 consumers that more are concerned that they will exceed their holiday spending budgets this year.

To ease the spending stress, the survey found
that more than half of the respondents said they have already set a budget for 2009 holiday shopping. In addition, about half plan to cut back on buying gifts, while 41 percent said they will buy more holiday gifts at discount stores.

"As consumers make plans to celebrate the holidays with friends and family, even small budget cutbacks can be a big step toward alleviating stress," said David Shapiro, senior vice president of Western Union Global Business Payments.

The survey also found a note of optimism. Only 23 percent of respondents expect their challenging financial situations to deteriorate in the next six months, down from 36 percent earlier this year.

Some strategies for staying out of financial trouble:

-- Pay bills on time. At the beginning of the month, sit down and figure out when you need to pay each bill to avoid late fees.

--Save more money out of each paycheck. Determine a set amount of money each month you can set aside. Ask your employer to make a direct deposit for this amount from your paycheck to your savings account.

-- Pay all bills online or automatically. Set up recurring payments for monthly bills.

--Reprioritize how bill pyaments get paid. Contact billers and ask to restructure your due dates according to when you are paid, so you can manage your cash flow better and avoid late fees.