DH's Financial Awakening!

[catherine]

OMG, I never thought I'd see the day!

Yesterday I showed him where we netted out in our budget for 2018. Rather than glaze over, he actually asked me MORE questions and asked me to break out specific line items (I had simplified the table so as not to overwhelm him).

Then he asked me to construct a 2019 worksheet so we can work on our budget for next year.

!!!!!!!!

So, I did that and gave it to him this morning, and we've gone through half of the line items so far. He is just now taking a break but we'll be finishing shortly. We're talking 50 individual line-items that he's thinking carefully through and we're discussing like adults! And he's enjoying it! And we haven't had one fight!

I'm going to see if he'll be amenable tomorrow to examining our cash-on-hand for expenses for January and making sure we have the money to pay for the things we've budgeted for. (But I'm not going to PUSH! I don't want to get greedy!)

[Tybee]

Wow, I am really impressed and so happy for you. This is inspiring me to start this process with my own husband--it is the ideal time to do this.

[iris lilies]

catherine, Great news!

[Teacher Terry]

See a old dog can learn new tricks:))

[dado potato]

Catherine,

It may be that budgeting is becoming your "domain" in your household. It's great when DH validates and supports your decision-making in an important area.

[rosarugosa]

That is wonderful, Catherine! I have always been CFO at our house, and DH has been content to leave it all up to me. As I'm watching both our mothers decline cognitively however, I realize that both partners should be engaged in the finances as a best practice. If I ever started to lose it, it would be good for the both of us if DH was looking over my shoulder with something as important as this.

[pinkytoe]

I am CFO too and actually enjoy crunching numbers. But yes, I intend to sit DH down and go over everything so that if I am no longer here, he will know where things stand.

[Gardnr]

I too am CFO. Hubby always said "just let me know if I can't stop at the ATM for $20. For over 20 years we've had an agreement that any expenditure over $100 is discussed. Although that's really not necessary anymore, we still do it.

Although it was bumpy when I put the skids on ALL nonessential spending in 1987, hubby is VERY happy with our current state and was quite happy with what we had achieved by the time he graduated college in 1993.

Now we laugh about the crap we thought was essential in the 80s.

Best of luck Catherine!!!!! Keep the conversation going. Discuss weekly progress and observations. I suggest a piece of paper on the counter with those 50 categories and you each write quickly each evening every expenditure in it's place. It's the best voice for the plan and your successes.

[razz]

Wonderful to have that happen especially now that you are examining the Vermont living option.

[Tradd]

That's just great to hear!

[catherine]

Thanks, everyone. This is simply amazing.

If I were prone to wacky ideas, I'd almost believe that this attitude change could be due to a blood transfusion he got in November shortly after Thanksgiving. He spent 4 days in the hospital with severe anemia, and so they gave him a pint of blood.

I know it sounds strange, but there are elements of his personality that have changed. This is one of them.

Go figure. I tease him by telling him he must have gotten Felix Unger's blood. Obviously, I'm joking, but...

[razz]

Thanks, everyone. This is simply amazing.

If I were prone to wacky ideas, I'd almost believe that this attitude change could be due to a blood transfusion he got in November shortly after Thanksgiving. He spent 4 days in the hospital with severe anemia, and so they gave him a pint of blood.

I know it sounds strange, but there are elements of his personality that have changed. This is one of them.

Go figure. I tease him by telling him he must have gotten Felix Unger's blood. Obviously, I'm joking, but...

One never knows what will trigger a sense of one's mortality and the need to be more aware.

[catherine]

One never knows what will trigger a sense of one's mortality and the need to be more aware.

I think you have the right reason, razz--makes more sense than my transfusion delusion.