Sometimes, disputes over money stem from choking points — amounts that far exceed your idea of how much something should cost. If, for example, your spouse comes home and announces that he spent $50 for a coat, you're likely to consider that a reasonable amount — or even a bargain. But what if your spouse spent that same $50 on a pair of socks? In that case, the issue wouldn't be whether or not you have the money, but how that money was spent.

One choking-point issue for many people who live in a big city is the cost of parking a car. A midtown parking lot can cost $25 or more per day, and this fact sometimes motivates people to drive around for hours looking for one of the precious few available free spaces on the street. It's not that they're particularly cheap or can't afford the cost of a lot. They simply consider the price outrageous.