Gimme Some Credit!
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[0 Comment]I don't understand why "disagreement over finances" consistently rates as one of the key problems married couples face—especially when the Visa people have thoughtfully arranged a system whereby we can keep spending even when we don't have any money. What's to disagree over? It's basically like having unlimited cash. I don't know why my wife can't grasp this self-evident fact.
Credit cards are tremendously convenient. I have a gob of them in my wallet (and even more in my dresser drawer), and the U. S. Postal Service brings me a new batch of offers almost daily. In many cases, the credit card companies offer to give me free stuff if I agree to use their cards.
"Hey look!" I called to Dale one day as I brought in the mail. "We got a credit card application from an airline. We can earn free tickets to anywhere if we just charge some stuff! I think I'll sign us up!"
"Read the fine print," Dale replied. "You'll have to spend $100,000 at a noncompetitive interest rate to get a so-called 'free' flight."
Dale has serious skepticism issues.
While Dale and I have different approaches to spending, I don't allow this to be the source of conflict in our home.
On the contrary, the conflict usually happens outside our home.
One time while on vacation, we happened upon a "specialty item" store that had a small stock of solar-paneled, fan-cooled pith helmets at an incredibly reasonable price. I tried one on. It was awesome. I mean, a regular British-style pith helmet would have been great, but this model had a small fan built right into the top. Just step into the sunlight, and the solar panel converted the energy into a cooling breeze. It was an exceptional find.
"I'm going to get one," I told Dale.
She looked at the price tag. "Fifty dollars?" she gasped. "What in the world are you thinking?"
"Not to worry, my sweet," I replied. "I have a credit card."
"Which makes it free?" she asked, arms folded.
"Basically," I said. "They don't charge interest for 30 days, so it's like getting a free loan. Besides, if things get a little tight, I can stretch out the payments."
"You're right!" she exclaimed. "You could add this charge to the tacky Sumo wrestler doll you bought across the street a few minutes ago. Just pay the minimum on all your credit cards and stretch out the payments forever!"
"That's the spirit!" I replied as I headed toward the register. "With any luck, I'll be dead before they're paid off."
"Dave, credit card companies love people like you."
I blushed at the compliment. "I suppose that's why they keep sending me all those nice offers."
She made me put back the helmet.
Snap decisions and other tales of woe
Dale likes to mull over her spending decisions, sometimes for years. I mulled once for about five minutes, but I didn't like it, so I stopped. It isn't as though I overspend horribly or don't pay my bills. I do pay them. I just don't monitor them as closely as Dale. She thinks we should track all our bills monthly and know precisely how much we owe. She also thinks it's a good idea to balance the checkbook—the most boring task imaginable. "We still have checks, so what's the worry?" is my financial motto.
Originally published in: Marriage Partnership, 2005, Spring, Page 54
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