Here's another one: I learned that a couple I know are having fights about money. The problem is, he has a $500 a month "personal spending money" budget and regularly goes over. I don't know enough about their finances to know exactly what's in personal spending, but hers is $125 a month. They are a 2-income couple, both civic employees, with 2 kids.
That seems like a hell of a lot of "personal spending," right? I mean, that's an iPhone (admittedly a lame 4G one) a month!! I have no idea what he spends it on, but it's not anything like drugs or loose women, I'm pretty sure.
Huh? Why would his be so much higher than hers? That seems really weird.
That was my first reaction as well, Brenda.
Huh? Why would his be so much higher than hers? That seems really weird.
Yeah, that was the first thing I thought, too.
Psst... Jilli gets more money a month than I do. Honest.
She needs it for all her clothing addictions.
Maybe he requires a lot of salon appointments for haircuts, manicures and pedicures.
Hey! Okay, yeah, I do, but but but ... if you wanted to spend the same amount of money on books or CDs or video games, I've always said that would be totally fine.
(Disclaimer: I am in no way the Keeper of the Budget for our household.)
My monthly spending is closer to the larger figure than the smaller one. Of course, I don't really cook for myself...
or video games,
Oh, now
that
one is such a fib!
Here's a couple question. Someone we know invited friends over to play poker on a Friday night. These are all married guys with kids, so a night out is a big deal to them--it happens maybe three times a year. The wife, who doesn't like any of his friends, was out at the movies. At 10, she called and said she was coming home and everyone had to be out of the house in 15 minutes. The husband negotiated to have them stay an extra 30 minutes and they finished the game and cleaned up and, well, left. They live in a three-bedroom house, so she could easily have gone to the bedroom and watched TV. My mind is blown by this behavior.
Do any of you have a realtionship with a loved one where you would order their friends out of the house? I can't imagine doing such a thing. Maybe if it was midnight and I had to work the next day, I might pull the DH aside and say, "Maybe we could wrap this up?" but I'd never decide for him. I know he wouldn't do that to me either.
