Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Oh The Differences...

There are days where everything is perfect, rainbows and butterflies all over the place. Like this:




And then there are days where the rains just keep pouring down. Like so:




Many of us are lucky to say we have found someone that cheers us up and makes our days full of sunshine and happiness. But what happens when that other is not as financially savvy as the other. Well, there might be a lot of rainy days in the future!

It's something that I've only now come to fully understand, and realize what a life long adventure this will be. Being able to understand how and why your partner spends money is so important, not only for monthly expenses, but for far off goals. I definitely fell in love for the bf for who he was, and once we moved in together, we realized that our spending patterns were radically different. It was my mission to turn him into the super saver that was buried within that consumerist person.

To start off, my childhood was full of frugality including lots of meals at home, clothes drying on the line, and clipping coupons to save on groceries. It was definitely the life of saving every penny there was to be saved. But being able to look at it from a grown perspective, it makes me appreciative of the sacrifices my mom made but also, how she taught me so many valuable skills.

On the other hand, the bf was raised in a decent home and with respectable parents, and even though they pinched pennies, they were not taught these lessons. Fast forward to day, and you'll find that he isn't the best with money. Not that he lives a lavish lifestyle, but he doesn't have anything saved.

So here is where we start, and we have both learned from each other's habits and lifestyle.

He has learned from your financially savvy blogger that saving money is super duper uber important. He now has his savings automatically taken out from his account and set away, and same for his retirement accounts. Along with that, that savings are everywhere. He definitely was one to just pick up the first thing he saw, out of convinience, and not think about the price and where to find it cheaper. Now, he does his research, compares and will even discuss with me the options that are at hand. And can we say we might have found a Coupon King (or prince, he's still working on it!).

As for me, he has definitely taught me to stop living for tomorrow. We are definitely in a great place and we have little to worry about. There are times where I will actively deny myself something because I feel it will wreck my budget, and he'll come to the rescue and say $5 isn't a budget wrecker on a bad day. That it's okay to buy something really cool every now and then and of course, within limits. That self-deprivation most of your life is not the way to live, and life is meant to be experienced. Because of this, we've definitely gone to more restaurants (something that was always a no-no for my mom) and have tried some amazing new food.

Life is definitely a journey, and being able to have a partner who is willing to learn with you is probably one of the most wonderful things.

2 comments:

  1. P does the same for me. These past few years I have really come to a healthier place with money. If I had not met P I would probably be a spinster who didn't spend a dime. I have come to realize that you have to spend money, and its ok to spend it on things you enjoy.

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  2. "Life is definitely a journey, and being able to have a partner who is willing to learn with you is probably one of the most wonderful things."

    Right on! If I had married someone who wanted to collect Coach purses, I'd be committed right now.

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