Writing Monday’s post Time To Simplify Our Lives … got me thinking about spending style personality traits. You could probably guess that I’m a penny-pincher. You’d be right - yet my household finances can get sticky. Because I’m married to a spender. Twenty-eight years as of last Saturday.
We’re as opposite as night and day.
Craig can spend hours wandering through a store looking at all the merchandise. He loves it all … especially if it’s expensive. I’m a stick-to-my-list-in-and-out-kind-of-shopper.
Craig may spend all of his weekly allowance the Friday he gets it. While I have cash in my wallet for days on end - without an impulse to spend it.
Craig’s a talker that loves to socialize. I’m a listener that enjoys quiet nights at home.
Through all these years we have come to appreciate each others differences.
(As annoying as they might feel from time to time).
But we have the glue - the glue that holds our opposite ends of the spectrum together.
The glue is the fact that we share the same core values, hopes, and dreams.
So we have adapted some ways to accommodate our spending style differences:
We came up with reasonable “non-accountability” allowances that we both agreed upon. Then married that idea with the cash/envelope strategy. Craig knows that he’s in control of his allowance. What he chooses to do with it is up to him. I know not to judge or worry about what he does with that money. Hubby has even started to save up his allowance if he wants something more expensive. Very sexy to me … his penny-pinching wife!
Another relatively easy change we’ve made is to grocery shop together. This has a three-fold benefit. It allows Craig to get some shopping & spending out of his system that is beneficial and necessary to the family. It also allows him to be truly aware of the cost of feeding our family. And it really can be fun couple time for us.
When it’s time for us to make a major purchase. He’s the one for the job. Shopping for big-ticket items is something he truly enjoys doing. He loves scouring the internet researching. Learning about what we should purchase and where we can find it the cheapest. There is a point I’m trying to make. This is a great way for him to get some of that shopping impulse out of his system!
Being married to someone with a different spending style can be a challenge. The secret is to embrace each others differences and make them work to your family’s advantage!
Have a terrific day!
iowahippiechick
personal finance
personal finance
