Do you 'steal' money from your spouse?
Posted
May 07 2008, 08:16 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller.
Have you ever found yourself at the store or gas station ready to pay, only to realize that the last $20 in your purse or wallet is gone? It's a sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize you can't pay for something. This happened to my mom all the time when I was a kid.
My parents went from one financial crisis to another and were always short on cash. I recall vividly my mom yelling at my stepdad because he had taken money out of her purse and left her with nothing. She usually figured out that she had no cash just after putting $5 worth of gas in the car (gas was a lot cheaper back then). A resolution to this problem always seemed simple to me, even if it eluded my parents.
Here are some tips if you (or your spouse) regularly raid the other person's money supply:
Communicate. If you need cash, don't just take it from your spouse without talking about it first. We all find ourselves without cash from time to time, but taking your spouse's money without asking is just plain rude. In a pinch, at least leave a note.
Plan. Oftentimes, a spouse is out of cash for lack of planning. Occasionally this happens to us all. But if it's a regular occurrence, you need to rethink how you're managing your money. My wife always keeps a $20 reserve for emergencies. If she needs to use it, she makes sure to replenish it as soon as possible.
Use a debit card. We use a MasterCard debit card that is tied to our checking account. We also have overdraft protection just in case we run a negative balance just before payday. With the debit card, we are never out of money as long as we can get to an ATM or don't have to pay cash for what we're purchasing.
Carry a credit card. We also carry a credit card just in case. I know there are some who view credit cards as evil. I don't, although we do pay off our credit card balance each month. But carrying a credit card can come in handy during an emergency, particularly when we are traveling. And here are some 0% balance-transfer credit cards if you're looking for a good card to carry.
Respect each other. Money is one of the biggest causes of strife in a marriage. Taking money from a spouse without communicating with that person can understandably be a serious source of conflict. It may be a quick and easy solution to a money shortfall, but the harm it can do to your relationship in the long run is not worth it. In the end it comes down to mutual respect.
Keep a change jar. We have a change jar that we dump our change into at the end of the day. Over time, the amount of money in the change jar can grow and come in handy when you're in a bind. I sometimes need to pay $5 in cash to park my car at the subway, and I've tapped the change jar more than once when my wallet was empty.
Other articles of interest at The Dough Roller:
"Tax rebate deals: Supersize your economic-stimulus payment"
"The federal gas tax: Are the presidential candidates trying to buy our votes?"
"Your money's guide to the 2008 presidential elections: Taxes"
