As a contractor do you sometimes lose perspective when it comes to money?!

[kingcook]

No point giving women any advice, she will do what she wants, and shes worth it.

[psychocandy]

I keep spreadsheets also.

In some respects I'm more careful with my money now. I look at it as how many months living money is in the warchest if I dont have a contract. If I spend £1000 on something thats 2 weeks less basic living expenses gone.

I do spend a fair bit of money on things I want. Nice holidays, home improvements etc but dont go overboard.

But, I still hate wasting money. My Mrs is terrible - I always say to here if we really skint she wouldn't be able to cope. Always got something to spend money on.

Just because you want a new floor/kitchen/whatever doesn't mean you're life is at an end if you don't get it. She can't see that for that some people just can't afford these things and have to make do - but it doesn't mean they're living in a slum.

[Old Hack]

I keep spreadsheets also.

In some respects I'm more careful with my money now. I look at it as how many months living money is in the warchest if I dont have a contract. If I spend £1000 on something thats 2 weeks less basic living expenses gone.

I do spend a fair bit of money on things I want. Nice holidays, home improvements etc but dont go overboard.

But, I still hate wasting money. My Mrs is terrible - I always say to here if we really skint she wouldn't be able to cope. Always got something to spend money on.

Just because you want a new floor/kitchen/whatever doesn't mean you're life is at an end if you don't get it. She can't see that for that some people just can't afford these things and have to make do - but it doesn't mean they're living in a slum.

My wife spends the most extraordinary amount I have seen on tat for the kids.

This year, the resolution is to take charge of the money, sell the houses, and get as close to mortgage free as I can. That and spend less time doing frivlolous tulip

[psychocandy]

My wife spends the most extraordinary amount I have seen on tat for the kids.

This year, the resolution is to take charge of the money, sell the houses, and get as close to mortgage free as I can. That and spend less time doing frivlolous tulip

Need to sort her out OH!

My wife will take no for an answer. She has absolutely zero interest in our finances, doesn't even open the bills, has no idea of our income/outgoings etc. I gave up years ago trying to get her interested at least....

Now, she leaves it all up to me. Which is fine as long as she is happy for me (being the one who has all the information) to make any financial decisions for the both of us. Fair play though she does most of the time but it doesn't stop her going on about things!

[formant]

I'm not great with money, but I'm not reckless. Between me and my other half I manage the finances because he's terrified of it. He's the sort of person afraid to log into his internet banking assuming something gruesome is going jump out of the screen to bite him.

We're pretty well-off. I make slightly more than he does, but he's got the cushy job security and all. But it hasn't been long since we struggled through his divorce, ancillary relief and child residence proceedings. We eventually 'won' the latter two as much as you can call it 'winning' but a lot of the pay-out went into paying off debts accumulated in the meantime. So now we have no debts (mortgage aside), but savings have yet to be replenished.

I was raised in very comfortable circumstances, parents were in banking. I've never known money to be an issue (until the above period of my life, where we've had help from both our parents). My parents were very reasonable though. Never drove a 'fancy' car (nor have they ever had more than one at a time), always lived in a medium-sized flat rather than a house, always saved plenty, never bought anything they couldn't afford upfront (property aside). I found that inspiring and although I'm not as good with money, I think I did adopt a good chunk of their attitude.

I appreciate my circumstances but I don't take them for granted and I don't like living off other people. I won't be taking maternity leave beyond the legal requirement because I refuse to halve our household income and jeopardise my current contract (which is likely to go perm).

But no doubt, I like to shop (and so does my other half) and I have expensive hobbies. I like good food and I'm happy to pay for it. Restaurant bills never get too crazy though, as luckily, I'm not into wine.

[bless 'em all]

Need to sort her out OH!

My wife will take no for an answer. She has absolutely zero interest in our finances, doesn't even open the bills, has no idea of our income/outgoings etc. I gave up years ago trying to get her interested at least....

Now, she leaves it all up to me. Which is fine as long as she is happy for me (being the one who has all the information) to make any financial decisions for the both of us. Fair play though she does most of the time but it doesn't stop her going on about things!

Cut off her access to the main account. Give her housekeeping. Make her stick to it. Worked for me (yes I am still married).

[MyUserName]

Cut off her access to the main account. Give her housekeeping. Make her stick to it. Worked for me (yes I am still married).

To the same woman?

[mudskipper]

In a similar vein, do you ever pretend to be in the same boat?

A woman in the local shop started to talk to me in the queue, lamenting how she'd lost a tenner just at the time when she has no money after paying for Christmas. I made appropriate empathetic comments (before paying for my champagne and caviar with a wad of crisp fifties...)

[eek]

Well my wife wants to use her iphone for music in her car (a zafira). All the brand new models offers a suitable option as standard but trying to identify a second hand version with the appropriate bits would be impossible.

A letter in the post today has a very good deal on a brand new one so I'm off to order it tomorrow. I wasn't going to bother getting a new car but its only £2000 more than a decent second hand model so I'll buy a brand new one.

[MarillionFan]

In a similar vein, do you ever pretend to be in the same boat?

A woman in the local shop started to talk to me in the queue, lamenting how she'd lost a tenner just at the time when she has no money after paying for Christmas. I made appropriate empathetic comments (before paying for my champagne and caviar with a wad of crisp fifties...)

Same happened to my housekeeper last week when I sent her out.