Step Two - take "Magic Card" away from DH About This Page:

[Cheriemek]

I pay the bills. I am cheap, DH is not. I can go on and on about things I wish he had never bought - I'll save that for another post! I call DH's credit card the Magic Card because he would buy things and think they just magically got paid. So, I finally had to put my foot down. No more using the Magic Card AT ALL!!! Use Cash! I had no problem giving him money and letting him buy whatever he wanted, I just didn't want to be the one that had to pay it. Paying cash really makes you pay attention to what you are buying, and how much you are paying for it. The only time he could use the Magic Card was when he was travelling (to pay for airfare or hotels). After 5 months of true success, I loosened the reigns, and let him pay for gas using the card. First time ever, DH bought me Christmas gifts that I didn't have to pay for myself!!! I have no idea how much money he squandered on the gifts!!!

And let me say I do not like having to be the adult all of the time, monitoring someone else's purchases. I had to show DH exactly how much we owed and tel him how I worried about it constantly before he agreed that the Magic Card had to be hidden away.

[rescuesk]

Cheryl, are we related somehow? My DH was exactly like that! Now he only carries a debit card and a gas card, and although he has overused the debit card on occassion, he is pretty careful.

And I hear ya about having to be the adult. I had to write all our expenses down on a dheet of paper and show them to DH before he finally "got it".

I'm thinking we should start another thread about DH/DW/SO that don't want to play the game by the rules....

[EeyoreNeedsLoveToo]

they do come around though....I think mine is trained when it comes to money now.... although he tells everyone that I am the CFO of the Cackler corporation, he is only the CEO

[stefffe]

3 out of 4 credit cards are in Barrys name..... and i never see them or the bills. all i see is the money disappear when his check comes in. It drives me crazy.....and thats why i want to get out from under all of them. if we cant pay cash...then we dont need it. He has a heart of gold.... but if theres room on the card he will find a use for it. (in all fairness....my one lil card is maxed out too.....so he is not the real problem...i just want to know where every dollar is going.)

[lukeandbrookesmom]

DH and I are both responsible for the debt we have and we are both committed to paying it all off. We have cards in both our names and they are in the drawer now - we don't carry them at all as of Jan 1.

[alisonhinsley]

Although our credit cards are in own names DH and I take joint responsibility of any debt. We now only use our cards for our annual trip to WDW as a back up.

[Colexis Mom]

I need to do the same thing DH doesn't pay the bills either, and I don't think he has a clue how much he spends (like the $150 trip to Walmart right before Christmas, for "I don't know what" )!

[my2girls]

I too, am joining the groups - I put all of the CC's away - locked up. Don't need them. I am slowly trying to pay them off and the medical bills we have from DD5. It won't be easy, especially cause we still want to take our cruise in 2009.