One of the more difficult things with being a couple is trying to work together on a budget. Initially, we had nothing and just went on a wing and a prayer with the occasional nagging that we should tone down the expenses.

After a few years, that got old and we decided to work together on the money more closely and figure out what was coming in and going out. Every 2-4 weeks we would sit down together and see if we were on track with income, bills and figuring out what needed to be reigned in. That has and still continues to this day.

However, there was still an issue that would come up. You see, my partner is a stay-at-home spouse and enjoys it thoroughly, but she felt that she wasn’t contributing enough financially. So on occasion we would see what job she could pick-up. But she didn’t like working out of the house much, so these jobs would be short-lived.

Because she was home full-time, anytime she would want to spend money she would ask and I would agree to it sometimes and that would cut into the future budget plans. Or I would say no and this would cause an argument between us about sticking to the budget or not.

Recently, she mentioned again wanting to help out financially again, starting some kind of craft business or something online that would allow her to stay at home. I knew something like this would take money upfront and I initially gave a thumbs down to this idea as it would mess up the budget again. I’m always the tightwad when it comes to spending money.

After thinking about it in the shower (I get my better ideas in the shower) I figured I would just give her $100-200/mo so that she could have control over ‘her’ money to save or spend. Basically, an allowance every month.

Little did I know how much this would delight her and get her mind working on ways to best use this money. Now it was up to her to decide whether to save the money for a little boat for fishing, increase the spending money for trips, save it for a raining day or put it back in towards the budget.

I realize it is another bill that has just been generated, but over the short term the money is about equal to those we had in spontaneous expenses. But over the longer haul, this is working in our favor because now my partner has ‘influence’ in whether we save or spend and the biggest bonus to all of this is that she has more control and sees her decision as having more influence.

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Dawn C. is site owner of Frugalforlife.com and is residing in Colorado with her spouse, Teri, of 11 years. Dawn can be reached at Frugalforlife@gmail.com