Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Household Management -> Finances
Do you get an allowance?
1  2  3  4  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother


 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 5:07 pm
While on the topic of finance.
Do you get an allowance? If so what does it cover? Amount?
Back to top

cassandra




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 5:16 pm
That always seems creepy to me. My husband isn't my father, why should he decide how much I spend? We each do what we need to, but discuss big purchases (say over $200). I also try to stick to a self-imposed grocery budget.
Back to top

chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 5:21 pm
You each need some discretionary money but you also need a budget unles syou're independently wealthy.
Back to top

shopaholic




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 5:23 pm
I agree with Cassandra.
Back to top

chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 5:53 pm
Maybe that's b/c you work, momof3.
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 6:03 pm
Are you kidding? How degrading would that be? Thank G-d both DH and I have always worked, excluding blessedly brief periods of unemployment for one reason or another. I would never want to be exclusively dependent on another person for every cent, no matter how much I loved him. Husbands should not control the finances--it should be a joint project.

Even my mother didn't get an allowance. On payday my father would take an allowance for himself and hand the rest of the pay envelope over to her.

I can think of few things as humiliating as having to ask your husband for money and/or having to account to him for what you spend. Well, if you happen to be a fiscally irresponsible spendthrift, giving you an allowance may be the only way to make sure you don't drive your family to the brink of disaster--but for an adult woman of normal spending habits--cheee....
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 6:04 pm
I wouldn't call it an "allowance" CM said it in the preferred way "discretionary money". When on a really tight budget it really does a lot to have pocket change to do as you please with. But if money is not as tight, its not a big deal.
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 6:05 pm
Imamother above. YOu dont think its degrading for the man to get an allowance (like your father gets0?
Back to top

cassandra




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 6:12 pm
I think there is a big difference between having a budget that you and your husband agree upon vs. having your husband control how much you spend. To me, "allowance" implies the latter.
Back to top

tovasmom




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 6:20 pm
dh and I both work and both get an agreed amount of discretionary money, which I guess you can call allowance. Neither of us can overdraw unless the other agrees. Money is tight and it would otherwise impact on the budget for bills. It is agreed upon by both, not unilateral. If it was unilateral I would agree that it would likely get me crazy...
Back to top

imamothertoo




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 6:36 pm
My husband works and I am a stay at home mom. Why would anyone need an allowance? we both have access to the bank account and spend accordingly. we are not babies. we are responsible adults who always know our bank balance and buy as we need and can afford. I thought marriage was with two grown-ups and each is capable of making their own decisions, each can make withdrawals w/o the others permission. of course, as a courtesy we would notify the other of a withdrawal and discuss a major purchase. I guess an allowance comes into play when one spouse has a habit of spending more than is coming in and cant seem to stop. But in a normal situation, I can't understand why an allowance is necessary.
Back to top

greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 7:06 pm
grown ups should be able to handle monies appropriately ... I find it demeaning to call it an allowance shock
Back to top

flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 7:27 pm
what allowence? the paycheck is gone before dh brings it home,between all our bills...
Back to top

gigi




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 8:45 pm
nope.
he gets the allowance. LOL
Back to top

happymom




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 8:49 pm
choc I also agree with spending what u decide, and I dont work..
Back to top

Mama Bear




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 8:53 pm
I wouldnt call it an allowance. Dh gives me $200 every week to spend on household needs including food, drugstore, hardware, toys, pizza, clothing, the cleanign lady, wahtever. there are weeks where it runs out by Wedneseday already, but that's when I dont watch the money and overspend. the weeks that I have money left over I feel so proud and put it away in a small envelope for use for 'bigger things' or unexpected expenses - like last weekI had an extreminator over and tomorrow we'll need an electrician. DH is in chrge of paying all the bills, but I do the everyday spending, so I get the $200 'allowance' which I'm supposed to spend frugally. Unfrotuantely I also end up putting a lot of stuff on credit cards, because ther are things I buy online such as diapers, the odd ebay purchase, etc. So I wouldnt call it an allowance, but 'money for the week.'
Back to top

mimivan




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 8:55 pm
I have to make my own money on the side for spending. He knows about this, so it's okay...we have an agreement that this money is mine, but he can request some. This is essential for shalom bayis because we grew up with very different views of money (he's Israeli, I'm American. I'm stingy by U.S standards I think, but extravagant by his standards). Even though I am the main breadwinner now, my income is for the bills and food shopping.

Trips to the macolet to get stuff we need during the week, extra things for the kids, prizes, additional babysitting, and neshei Chabad events are paid for by my extra money. The things I mentioned are not planned and covered by a regular budget, so it is better that I make this money myself so it doesn't stress dh out.

Things are tight, and if dh weren't so tight himself, I don't know how we would survive, but we do need extra stuff from time to time and it is best not to hit the account or live on overdraft. Wink
Back to top

Mama Bear




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 9:25 pm
the money I make an ebay evaporates very quickly. I'ts not a lot of money - It's about $50-$80 a week - so if I have a sudden expense like - the kinesioologist for my son, copays for medication, paying the 'ayin hora guy', a metrocard for doctor's appointments, I just got ds a new dvd player to keep him busy during the day, etc etc, so my 'ebay money' evaporates way too fast... I cant depend on that for my weekly expenses, it's more of 'emergency money' when it runs out on Friday or when someone comes at th door for tzedakah and I dont have any singles on me, it inevitably comes out of there....
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 9:27 pm
mamabear what is your secret? you even have a cleaning lady, order pizza .. & spend only $200
Back to top

Mama Bear




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jan 26 2008, 9:36 pm
lol are you being sarcastic, amother? A cleaning lady is $27-$36 usually and pizza is, what, 5 bucks?
Back to top
Page 1 of 4 1  2  3  4  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Allowance and how to go about it
by amother
0 Mon, Dec 25 2023, 11:57 am View last post
Allowance for a chore - 11yr old 7 Tue, May 23 2023, 12:24 pm View last post