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Posted

Here is one the wife and I are currently discussing. We both work and make pretty good money. We both spend money on things and do so without asking permission because after all we both work hard for our money and I think entitled to do so. But what amount is ok to spend with out asking your spouse about first?

 

My wife and I discussed $500. Anything over $500 we should call and let the other spouse know what we are about to do and make sure it is ok? What do you think, do you guys have a "limit" that requires consulting the spouse before spending?

Posted

Gee...$50? :o

 

If I don't ask, and I spend more than $50, I usually get jumped on, because there is some random bill due, and now that I spent $50 we won't be able to pay it or something :rolleyes:

 

I guess it depends on the couple. If you and your wife are well off enough that if BOTH of you spend $500 at the same time that you won't go bankrupt, then $500 is a good limit. if my husband and I both spend $50 at the same time, bills will not get paid...

 

It's called living paycheck to paycheck.

Posted

Ours is about $200.

 

Also, we get an extra break for birthday's/holidays, etc., I just need to know how much you spent.

 

I take care of the bills and money, but he has access.

Posted

I would say $100-200 for lower middle class incomes. $300-500 for middle to upper-middle class incomes.

 

That's why budgeting is so important. If you both have your set amount of monthly discretionary spending, then you only need to bring up money when you want to spend beyond that amount.

Posted

We put money into a joint account to pay the bills. what's left of my check goes into a separate account that I get to spend (same with her check and account).

 

So it depends on what we make.

Posted

I think that if both of you contribute to the household expenses and if both of you have money saved for a rainy day (retirement or whatever your goals are), then whatever money is left is yours to spend.

 

When I was first married and we both had good jobs and no kids, we could do what you are doing. The difference is that anything that was more than $100 or so, we would generally discuss with each other. For example, I was perfectly capable of buying a washer and dryer, but I also wanted to have his input. Did he think it was a good deal? Did he like the options? Was there something about the internal workings that he felt one model would work better/longer over another?

 

The way I see it is that getting the spouse's opinion on something is a form of teamwork and making that person feel that their feelings and thoughts mattered. It isn't so much "getting permission" as it is "working together".

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Posted

The wife has her own account, and I have mine and then we have one savings account. I give her money to cover all the bills and she pays them under one condition that she matches the amount and deposits it into our savings from her account. She has her own 401k as well do I. So all bills accounted for, savings being made, and retirement there is disposable income that is left that up until recently was a non issue on how we spent. Her dropping $200 or $300 shopping is not an uncommon thing. Myself, well I can easily drop as much on tools, golfing, etc.

 

I trust her and she trust me because we are both good with money and good savers. This came up because I am in the process of buying a new car. We discussed it and laid out the logistics and money of it and she agreed it was ok. But now she is telling me she wants to wait until she can be there to do it and doesn't feel comfortable with me spending that kind of money with out her being there. I gave her brochures, sent her to web sites, even took her to a dealership to show her what I had in mind. But now I have to have her present to do it? I'm ok with it and will do it just because I respect her enough to include her. I just think I covered my basis already and now I am sitting around waiting for her to find time to go and it sucks! Just venting.

Posted

Well, since we just moved in with each other :love: ...and we've got bills from both of our other apartments (electricity, gas, rent...yes rent...we found our home before our lease's were up :sick: ). We can't spend a penny without approving it with the other person. Which is good. We figure that once all of our bills get into it's groove (new pay period schedule; he just changed jobs) it should take about 4-6 mths, we'll be able to up the spending to about 100 per person per pay period (basically 200 each a month).

 

He had this urge to buy some stupid (IMHO) 160 dollar video game and I reminded him that our gas bill (including setup fees) was about 130....so if he wanted to have money to eat lunch during the week, he might want to rethink the idea.

 

Of course he still grumbles, but I have put the game down on this personal "wish" list I keep for future gift/love you items. He'll get the game one day, he just maybe 80. :D

 

Btw...what kinda car you thinkin of getting?

 

~justa~

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Posted
Originally posted by imjustagirl

 

Btw...what kinda car you thinkin of getting?

 

~justa~

 

Getting a Tahoe. With the deal GM is doing right now where they are selling GM products at employee cost is it hard to pass up. The original price on the Tahoe is over $40k which I normally wouldn't look at. But with the deal they are doing it closer to $30k wich is very doable! No kids yet but thinking ahead it is big comfy SUV and will be a good family car.

Posted
Originally posted by jen_jen_heartbroken

That's why budgeting is so important. If you both have your set amount of monthly discretionary spending, then you only need to bring up money when you want to spend beyond that amount.

 

I think that's the key, and that is exactly what my husband and I do. At the moment we have reduced that amount to a minimum, as we are saving to take a year off work and travel, in about 9-10months time. Therefore our normal "personal money" has been diverted into the joint holiday savings kitty.

 

Plus, we've just paid for our own wedding, and honeymoon etc etc, and had lots of expenses.

 

I guess after our big year off, when we resume work, we'll once again allocate more money into our personal accounts.

 

We have a pretty good budgetting system.

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