The original poster (OP) and her husband of nine years have four children together. OP is a stay-at-home mom whose husband makes approximately $150,000 a year. They live by a relatively strict budget.
The Family Budget Breakdown
Her husband decided to break down the family budget below:
- 50% goes to day-to-day expenses
- 25% to children’s education savings
- 10% to family savings
- 7.5% to his personal spending and 7.5% to her personal spending
No Money for Vacations
OP says her husband’s budgeting leaves them no extra money for vacations or big trips.
She Does All the Shopping
OP is responsible for all the shopping, including clothing, groceries, furniture, etc. OP learned to use coupons and cards to collect points to save money.
She’s Savvy With Collecting Points
She usually gets two or three different reward points and saves 10% to 25% per transaction. Her husband only knows about the coupon savings but not the rewards points.
She Lied to Her Husband
For the past five years, OP has been going on girls’ trips with her family. She’s been telling her husband that her sisters, sisters-in-law, mom, and grandmother have been paying for her to go since they can’t afford it.
She’s Been Paying With Rewards Points
But really, she’s been using the rewards points to pay for her ticket, then using rewards to pay for groceries and paying her credit card off later to be able to go on the trip.
Her Family is Planning a Boys Trip
This year her brothers, brothers-in-law, father, and grandfather decided to make a boys’ trip and invited OP’s husband. Her husband told them unless they can help with the cost of the trip as they do for OP, he won’t be able to go.
He Learned the Truth
OP’s brother told her husband that nobody ever paid for her trip. Her husband confronted her, and OP had to confess what she had been doing.
Her Husband is Upset
OP’s husband is hurt and says the points could have been used for more family things rather than her hoarding them for herself. Also, if she had set him up with his own credit cards, he could have saved rewards points and could have saved up for family vacations.
Her Family is Calling Her Selfish
OP’s family is calling her selfish for not telling him about using the points. OP feels like she worked hard to get the points levels, and using them regularly for purchases would have burned through them quickly. They wouldn’t have been able to use them for bigger purchases.
The Readers Comment
While nobody believes she was right to lie and not disclose she was using rewards points, many also feel his budget may be too rigid.
They Need to Talk About the Budget
“And by “burn through them quickly and not allow them to be used for bigger things,” you mean used for things for somebody else and not just for you. You’ve been deceptive about this with him for years. You should also sit down and revisit his rigid budgeting numbers. I appreciate his frugality and his long-term planning, but nine years without a vacation? Yeah, no.”
OP Works Hard Too
“I can’t stop thinking about how she has been pregnant or nursing for nearly nine years straight and has such a strict budget dictated to her she can’t use her own reward points openly on a vacation w/o mommy duties and feels she has to hide it. She shouldn’t lie, but she shouldn’t feel like she has to either. People need breaks!!!”
“Considering moms spend the majority of their money on their kids, her spending $ likely goes to the kids needs.”
“This woman is clipping coupons and using the rewards points for groceries also. Not just for a girls vacation.”
He’s Not Penny Pinching
I don’t think making sure daily expenses are covered, there is a family savings account, the children’s educations are paid for and each spouse has an equal amount of personal money is “insanely rigid.” And OP HAS gone on vacation while the husband and kids have not–his whole argument was that this could have been used as family vacation money.”
OP later clarified that all expenses come from 50% of pay, so they both have 7.5% for personal spending. “The 50% day-to-day expenses. The 7.5% is entirely mine to do whatever I want with. My vehicle, gas and insurance also come from that 50%”
“He’s not penny pinching or financially abusing his wife – she lays out their exact budget and they each get equal spending money. Their savings goals are not extreme (25% for 4 kids’ education and 10% for family savings). At 50% of 150K it seems they are living above their means on the day-to-day expenses. So the opposite of penny pinching.”
Why Doesn’t He Get His Own Card?
Should the husband be doing his own research on how to save money?
“Yeah I also don’t understand how the husband can’t sign up for a credit card himself? If he’s ever had a personal credit card, he should know about rewards points. Even my bank credit account has reward points. Like she’s definitely the jerk for hiding her points and lying, but he’s also an adult and can make his own investment decisions.”
After Her Ingratitude, Her Dad Took Away the Truck He Gave Her as a Birthday Gift and Handed Her a McDonald’s Job Application. Did He Take it Too Far?
A father recognizing that his child is spoiled and entitled is reaching out to the online community for advice. In a hilarious start to his story, he begins with the words’ first world problems alert.’
She’s Facing the Wrath of Her Husband and His Family Because She Cancelled Her Mother-in-Law’s Cell Phone Plan She Was Paying For Because Her Nephew Was Using it
The original poster (OP) and her husband are in their 20s with no children. OP first starts her story by saying that her husband’s family is angry with her, and she feels like she is being gaslighted by them.
The Comedians the Internet Declares as the Least Funny
Comedians are brave people who come into the spotlight with the sole purpose of making us laugh. Not every joke can be a hit, but they will lose their following if they repeatedly fail to entertain. Comedians are no different than actors when it comes to slip-ups and controversy. It’s not always their jokes that make them unfunny. According to the internet, here are the top-voted answers to the most unfunny comedians.
The Comedians the Internet Declares as the Least Funny
Prepare to Cringe at the Dumbest Things Said by Famous People
Today’s world is a very interesting one, because many people follow celebrities almost obsessively. However, many of us seem to forget that celebrities are just normal human beings, and they’re just as prone to doing and saying stupid things as us regular folks. Here are a few prime examples of the dumbest things that they’ve ever said.
Prepare to Cringe at the Dumbest Things Said by Famous People
Behind Closed Doors: The Truth About Why Men Really File for Divorce
Relationships can be challenging. Before committing to marriage, it is helpful to get insight into why some relationships don’t last. Male readers were asked to discuss why men divorce and what was the final straw that helped them make the decision.
Behind Closed Doors: The Truth About Why Men Really File for Divorce
This post and comments originally appeared on Reddit.