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Marriage Drama Ensues After Woman Asks If She Can Get Her Engagement Ring Fixed
Being financially responsible is a good skill to have. It helps people save for emergencies, stay out of debt, achieve set goals, and make them more satisfied and secure overall. However, some cross the line from being frugal to cheap, often leading to missed experiences and relationship issues.
This woman recently shared how her thrifty husband didn’t allow her to fix her engagement ring, even though she planned to do it with her hard-earned money. The whole situation left her heartbroken, which pushed her to seek unbiased opinions from people online.
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Being financially savvy is a good skill to have. However, it can become an issue when it crosses the line from frugal to cheap
Image credits: Studio_OMG / Envato (not the actual photo)
For this married couple, it even shook the previously solid relationship
Image credits: Zinkevych_D / Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: AppelationStation
While being frugal is all about the value you get from spending your money, being cheap is all about seeing numbers and how to reduce them
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)
“There’s cheap, and there’s frugal,” says Keith Klein, a certified financial planner. It’s important to distinguish the two before becoming too dissatisfied with a spouse’s spending habits, experts say. The latter individual often searches for the best deals—something that shouldn’t be frowned upon. Partners who try to make the most of the household income don’t deserve the cheap label unless they start putting off crucial purchases for the indefinite future.
While being frugal is all about the value you get from spending your money, being cheap is all about seeing numbers and how to reduce them. If the two would need to buy, for example, a phone, the frugal person would buy a good quality one that will last them longer, saving them money in the long run. A cheap person would find a device with the lowest price tag possible that might break in the first few months, costing them more in the future.
“If you really think your spouse is being cheap, don’t present them with a demand,” Klein says. “Ask them why they want to go the cheap route.” Their insights may help the couple find the solution to their economic attitude.
People tend to hold on to their old habits about money even when their financial situation has changed. A spouse who grew up in a low-income household may be accustomed to putting money aside because they don’t want to go back to that point. Others might hope to build a savings account for a rainy day or save money just for the sake of it.
Different spending habits don’t mean that the relationship can’t work
Image credits: Porapak Apichodilok / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Different spending habits in couples don’t mean that the relationship can’t work. Sonya Britt, an associate professor of personal financial planning at Kansas State University, says, “I think opposite spending personalities can still have a successful relationship. It will just take more work for them.”
When one likes to pinch their pennies while the other enjoys spending their hard-earned money, it might be a good idea to break out the budgeting spreadsheet. An important aspect that it has to include is some ‘fun money,’ as the person who likes to treat themselves can start to feel deprived and hide their spending.
The more frugal spouse should remember that it’s okay to buy some more exciting, nonessential items as long as they’ve paid their bills and put some of their income into retirement and savings. Ken Moraif, senior advisor with Money Matters in Dallas, jokes, “To a great degree, I find my job as a financial advisor is to give [clients] permission to spend money.”
For some partners, it might be even more convenient to keep their bank accounts separate. This prevents the thrifty spouse from knowing whether the new shoes cost $40 or $140, and agreeing on a limited budget gives the frugal partner peace of mind that the other isn’t dipping into funds necessary for crucial expenses.
“Having a cheap spouse may not be much fun, but consider that they may not be thrilled to be living with a spendthrift either. With open communication and a bit of compromise, there’s no reason financial opposites can’t eventually live in harmony,” concluded financial expert Maryalene Laponsie.
The author received various reactions in response to her post
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What do you think ?
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 6 months ago
Why is he deciding how she spends the money she worked for? Why is she allowing him that? She doesn't lack the agency -- she gave the agency away.
LuckyL 6 months ago
That AND in this case she can't just decide to fix the ring. Because it's the ring symolising their love. And he doesn't care. It would always remind her of him not caring, of him not being proud of her, of him not wanting what makes her happy.
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Ephemera Image 6 months ago
She's being financially abused. I wonder if she realises that he gave her his family ring, not because it's precious, but because it was free? He doesn't think she is worth spending any money on, ever.
Mir Adwari 6 months ago
This stuck out to me too. He didn't pay for the ring, no criticism there, however he's not willing to see £230 go on it to make it wearable. Which is telling. I see this level of control in a BIL. It only ever gets worse unless stomped on hard at the beginning. My sister's life is pretty grim due to how little say she has in the majority of things - she didn't like to upset him from the word go.
Load More Replies... Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 6 months ago
Why is he deciding how she spends the money she worked for? Why is she allowing him that? She doesn't lack the agency -- she gave the agency away.
LuckyL 6 months ago
That AND in this case she can't just decide to fix the ring. Because it's the ring symolising their love. And he doesn't care. It would always remind her of him not caring, of him not being proud of her, of him not wanting what makes her happy.
Load More Replies... Ephemera Image 6 months ago
She's being financially abused. I wonder if she realises that he gave her his family ring, not because it's precious, but because it was free? He doesn't think she is worth spending any money on, ever.
Mir Adwari 6 months ago
This stuck out to me too. He didn't pay for the ring, no criticism there, however he's not willing to see £230 go on it to make it wearable. Which is telling. I see this level of control in a BIL. It only ever gets worse unless stomped on hard at the beginning. My sister's life is pretty grim due to how little say she has in the majority of things - she didn't like to upset him from the word go.
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