Husband Called A 'Cheapskate' For Insisting His Wife Get A Job If She Wants A New Car
It's safe to say the couple has very different spending habits.
RDNE Stock project | Pexels A husband who is the sole provider for his family was recently able to pay off their mortgage, and was looking forward to putting that extra money into retirement investments. Unfortunately, his wife, a stay-at-home mom, has very different spending habits and thought it was the perfect time to buy a new car.
Instead of talking things out, however, the husband told his wife she should get a job if she wants a new car, and needless to say, that didn't go over well. The husband turned to Reddit to ask for advice because his wife is now giving him the silent treatment.
His wife called him a 'cheapskate' for not wanting to buy her a new car.
The husband shared his marriage problems in a since-deleted Reddit post, where he asked if he was wrong to push his wife to get a job after he felt like her spending habits exceeded what his job allowed for.
“I do most of the budgeting and finances, but try to involve her, but she’s simply ‘not interested,’ she says,” he shared. “We are comfortable financially, mostly because I’ve always avoided debt and been frugal.”
He and his wife have very different spending habits, which is contributing to the tension.
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“My wife is the spender between us and it seems she’s always pushing the limits and wanting to spend more on lifestyle, mostly for her,” he said. “Well, recently we paid off our mortgage, because I had been paying extra every month, and she said, ‘Good, now we can buy a new car,’” he continued. “I refused and said that money is going towards our investment accounts so we can have a comfortable retirement.”
Not only that, but they've got two teenagers on the cusp of college, which will also be a huge expense they are saving for. To top it off, they don’t actually need a car. He explained, “One of our cars is a 2017 and the other is a 2014. We paid for both in cash when we bought them and they’ve been nothing but reliable.”
The husband told his wife that if she got a job, they could get a new car in a year.
Since they didn’t need a new car, this husband figured it wasn’t something they should purchase immediately. So, he gave his wife a not-so-gentle suggestion. “I told her, ‘Fine, we can buy a new car once you get a job and you’ve been working for at least a year,’” he recounted.
He wrote, “She was furious with that comment and said I was an [expletive] and a cheapskate.” Yeah, if you're shaking your head thinking he shouldn't have said that, you're not alone. Communication is clearly not strong between this husband and wife and this disagreement is the result of that.
“I feel like I’m the responsible villain and she is the happy-go-lucky one that has no [cares] in the world,” he confessed. “For reference, our income is $140,000 and we are in our mid-30s. She’s never held a job because she’s always been a [stay-at-home mom], so paying off the mortgage to me is a huge relief, and I want to put that extra money to good use.”
This family could probably afford the car, but that doesn’t mean they should buy it.
According to Statista, this family is one of 17% of American households making between $100,000 and $149,000 a year. While the cost of living for each family depends on their size and location, Motley Fool Money estimated that most households in the U.S. spend about $77,280 each year, or $6,440 a month.
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Really, one could make the argument that this family is doing pretty well for themselves. Many families with two incomes don’t make that much money in a year, so it would be easy for some to assume they could afford the car, and they probably could. But that doesn’t mean they should spend the money.
It’s smart to save any money you can and, as this husband is doing, invest it for the future. While it’s likely not necessary for his wife to work, it could help her better understand the money they bring in and give her a clearer picture of what wants and needs are.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
