Re: Your wife
I'm a blessed man. My wife manages the finances. I HATE paying bills. When we first got married, she was in school and I was earning the money. She is very good with money and has a business degree, so it was very hard for her to be out of the loop, not bringing in money. Now she is working, and both of us contribute to the pot.
What has finally worked for us is a fixed allowance. This is part of the budget. We each get $250/month to spend on whatever we like. She doesn't ask questions about what I spend mine on, and neither do I about her expenditures. She tends to save all of her money and rarely spends it. I, on the other hand, always have something firearm related I am saving up for, or need to get. Occasionally I get a bonus from work, or 3 paychecks a month, and we each get a little more if all the bills are paid.
She really has been good for me. Before we were married, I spent a LOT of money on firearms and got into a lot of debt. Now all the debt is paid off (except for my educational loans). I'm getting used to a limited budget and prioritizing my firearm purchases. It is a much more financially sound approach to save up for something before buying it, than to go into debt over it. I really do appreciate what she has brought to the table financially in our family, and we are much better off because of it. It's still sometimes frustrating not to be able to buy that case of ammunition AND the new gun AND the reloading supplies the same month. Patience, young grasshopper.
