[PrincessPerky]

Only you and your wife could answer that one. 350 splurge money would be heavenly to me!

However I would look at you weird if you brought food to a restaurant!

How about cheaper meals (drink water) or slightly less often (I don't spend 350 eating out in a month, and when I go I have to feed 5...)

Or she could suggest potluck (you could offer to cook) or she could eat first and order a salad there...

You can cut back on your own and even give her some of it if you want....giving money to one you love is a perfectly useful way to spend fun money. (though do not do if it will leave you feeling upset)

Not all folks are the same, not all solutions work for everyone.

also what was her former spending? and does she make more or less than you? If her former free spending was in the thousands cutting back to 350 is going to seem impossible to her. If she makes significantly more than you giving a large portion up to goals not her own will be much harder for her.

On the other hand if she makes significantly less then 'only' being 'allowed' 350 seems more like a hardship put on by you than a mutual money decision. This is all physc issues, but they very much effect how one spends.

Try asking her how much she would feel comfortable having in retirement..then work backwards from there, you might find she gets to 'waste' more than you would like, but if she is on board with the amount of saving you wont have a cranky wife...and what good is saving 30% if you will end up miserable and or divorced?