Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger’s Rules for a Successful Marriage

It’s not always easy being married, but when you’re a celebrity, it often seems downright impossible.

Which is why newlyweds Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger have some special “rules” set in place to keep things harmonious.

“When you have something special, you can’t take it for granted and be careless with it,” Lavigne, 29, exclusively tells PEOPLE. “We want to give it all the care and love and nurturing that we can.”

Here’s how Kroeger, 38, and Lavigne make it work:

Make time for each other: “We don’t spend more than two weeks apart,” says Lavigne. Which means she will join Nickelback for parts of their upcoming tour in South Africa and Europe, and Kroeger will support Lavigne as she promotes her new album, out Tuesday. “Chad’s been really supportive and coming out with me, which is awesome,” Lavigne says. “I’ve never really had that before, and it makes it better.”

No drinking. “We don’t drink when we’re apart,” says Kroeger. “Ever. Even if we’re apart for weeks.” Lavigne says that it’s just the responsible thing to do. “We want to protect what we have,” she says.

No nightclubs. “We don’t want to go anywhere that you’re asking for trouble,” says Kroeger. He adds, “I don’t want to be in Europe texting her, like ‘Where are you?’ ” he says. “This way we don’t have to worry about any of that stuff.”

Enjoy the simple things. “For us, true happiness is when we’re both together and in our own bed,” Kroeger says. “I crave the time I can snuggle up with her and watch a movie.” Lavigne says that between their crazy work schedules, they both relish the time they can just be quiet. “After our honeymoon, we were like, let’s just go home and be married. Really, our vacation is our home.”

People Magazine