10 Ways to Save Money Even When Your Other Half Won’t Stop Spending

What do you do when you are keen to spend money frugally while your partner is the exact opposite, extravagant in every way? One Reddit user wanted to hear from other members of the community about what they thought about this topic. He wondered how people navigated relationships with different spending habits. Do they meet in the middle? Or do they keep their finances separate?

Reddit users chipped into this conversation, and here are some of the best responses.

Have Separate Checking Accounts and One Joint Account

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“We each have our own checking accounts and then one joint checking. Paychecks go into respective checking accounts, and then a set amount is transferred into the joint checking. That amount has been calculated to be enough to cover the mortgage, all autopay/check paid consistent utilities, and a little bit of extra (~50-100/mo. each extra). This joint checking and its extra padding is the first line of defense against things like unexpected plumbing bills without “having to pay extra for it (i.e., already came out of our personal checking; it’s half-half from personal checkings),” illustrates one user

Give the Spender an Allowance

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Giving the spender an allowance keeps them away from the main account, “I’m sure I’ll take a lot of hate for this, but my husband is a spender, so he has an allowance. I pay all the bills out of our account, and he gets $200 a week on his debit card for whatever. It lets him spend how he wants to spend without me having a panic attack on what he’s doing. This is what we had to resort to after many, many disagreements over money.”

Separate Finances

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Each person should know what they are supposed to do, “I pay the household bills; he pays me a set amount for bills each month. We split the food. I encourage frugal brands; he insists on name brands. If there’s a name-brand-specific thing he wants, he buys it. If I see his favorite brand on sale, I’ll pick it up.”

Get a Prenup

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Finances can be a source of stress in a marriage, “Being in disagreement about finances is like being in disagreement about having kids or not. Get a prenup.”

Split Everything 50/50

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Go Dutch on everything, “My partner and I live separately; living apart together works really well for us. I’m frugal, clean, and organized. I like to think about my future and retirement. My partner is the opposite. .. All mutual activities and vacations are split 50/50.”

Some People Cannot Be Frugal

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A user illustrates such a case, “I have a friend (of 20 years) who would LIKE to be frugal but is ever only frugal when they run out of money. My friend is about 60 and has spent hundreds of thousands on luxuries. They spent an inheritance… It’s all gone. They cashed out their 401k and spent IT ALL. Some people, in the name of “love” can’t be frugal … they just fritter it all away.”

Get a Divorce

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If one partner refuses to compromise, you should divorce as it will cause problems in the future, “I was willing to compromise, but my partner wasn’t. We resolved it by getting a divorce. I know that’s probably not the response you’re looking for, but there’s a reason finances are a large cause of divorce. It’s a major issue when one partner wants to be financially responsible, and the other has no concept of saving or planning for the future.”

Keep a ‘Fun Fund’

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The spender can draw from this fund, “He has a “fun fund” that he can blow on whatever he likes when it runs out, that’s it.”

Go the Minimalist Way

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“We moved into a smaller house that didn’t have any available storage space for her to buy any more things. Problem solved,” explains another user

This Does Not Work

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Some people do not believe that it can work, “Doesn’t work. I was asked if I’d date a particular guy, but the dude straight up was gonna throw a perfectly good soft pretzel away simply because he was not hungry at that moment. That’s a hard no. I can’t let it go, and I imagine we’d fight a lot. Maybe you can rub off on them but I’d just prefer someone who already thinks similarly to me. Frugality is a value for me and a way of life. If my partner wasn’t frugal… I wouldn’t have them as a partner bc it just wouldn’t work.”

12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference

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A Reddit user who started the frugal journey with his wife a couple of years ago wanted to know the frugal hacks people had that made all the difference.

According to the OP, shopping grocery sales every week and planning their meals helped cut their bill from $250 to $100 per week. Other users shared their stories about frugal hacks they had that made some difference in their lives. Here are some of the best ones.

12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference 

12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude From Their Shopping List

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Frugal people are known to spend their money wisely. They live within their means and don’t spend a lot of money. According to a thread on Quora, here are some common things frugal people never buy.

12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude from Their Shopping List

23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5

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Have you ever wanted to make a lot of money from a side hustle and quit your 9 to 5? You may know about the typical side hustles, but I bet you never even heard of these lucrative side hustles!

23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5

9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money

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Not everything is frugal! I am sure you have read articles and tips that promote frugal living and give some ideas that are just not frugal! These frugal myths float around and sometimes even cost people a lot of money!

9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money

10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For

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It seems like every day there is a new scam popping up, promising to make you rich or solve all of your problems. Yet, despite the prevalence of scams and the numerous warnings about them, people still fall for them.

10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For

 

This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.