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ngdawg · 06-02-2007, 12:04 PM

I need suggestions as I'm at my wits' end....
To summarize:
Monthly income: approx. 3200
Bills: approx. 2600, not including gas, food, etc.
Biggest problem: Spouse's addiction to his debit and credit cards.
Five months after refinancing everything, he's managed to charge his way to over the credit limit(10,000). Let me be clear, he did not charge this entire amount; about $3k was small store cards paid off, art supplies and sundry items. What he has been doing is filling up his gas tank a couple times a week, always with the card, so while I've been paying maybe $50 a week on it, he's been spending twice that.
The debit card is giving me indigestion. He never carries cash-always uses the card. Cigs, toiletries, trips to Home Depot, all with the debit card, using up the checking account. And he doesn't write these in, so while I think we have X amount of money in it, we don't.
So.....first, how do I change both our habits? I can save pretty well and do when there's a goal to obtain, but I can't get him to do the same thing. "Did you put money away for this?" "No, I'll just go to the MAC". ARGGHH!!! As a result, all the money I'd been saving has been eaten up trying to keep up with bills.
I thought being down to just one CC would help, but it only took 5 months to be right back into the mire. I've had it...visions of smashing him over the head with a bat keep popping up....

06-02-2007, 12:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	Income<Outgo I need suggestions as I'm at my wits' end.... To summarize: Monthly income: approx. 3200 Bills: approx. 2600, not including gas, food, etc. Biggest problem: Spouse's addiction to his debit and credit cards. Five months after refinancing everything, he's managed to charge his way to over the credit limit(10,000). Let me be clear, he did not charge this entire amount; about $3k was small store cards paid off, art supplies and sundry items. What he has been doing is filling up his gas tank a couple times a week, always with the card, so while I've been paying maybe $50 a week on it, he's been spending twice that. The debit card is giving me indigestion. He never carries cash-always uses the card. Cigs, toiletries, trips to Home Depot, all with the debit card, using up the checking account. And he doesn't write these in, so while I think we have X amount of money in it, we don't. So.....first, how do I change both our habits? I can save pretty well and do when there's a goal to obtain, but I can't get him to do the same thing. "Did you put money away for this?" "No, I'll just go to the MAC". ARGGHH!!! As a result, all the money I'd been saving has been eaten up trying to keep up with bills. I thought being down to just one CC would help, but it only took 5 months to be right back into the mire. I've had it...visions of smashing him over the head with a bat keep popping up.... __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.