A question for all of you...

[Judi Dial]

I had a seasonal job this summer at a farm stand. The $ was set aside to pay off our most high-interest cc, which it will.

So, what do I do next? I don't have the extra $ coming in, we live fairlly frugally already, and DH doesn't really want to scrimp, isn't on board with me on this. I can do things as long as they don't affect him too much. We live on his income only.

So...the next highest cc is Discover and we stopped using it a while ago, I think we still owe like $3,000 on it.

I thought about getting DH to add the payment we've been giving Discover and the regular payment we were giving cc #1. He'll agree to it and we'll do it for a month or two, but then he'll forget and use the money on ebay or something, and that will kill that. For two to three months, we'll make a big dent in it, but after that, it's going to be tough to get him to go along. (He hates long term planning. I don't get it, but I've been married to the guy for 28 years now, so I've learned.)

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks in advance --

Judi

[MYOM]

I would offer DH a carrot as an incentive to pay off the credit cards. You can make it a surprise gift of something he has wanted for a long time. Guys like tools and electronics. Have you given any thought to cutting back to just one card?

Good Luck!

Dan Clemons

[PrincessPerky]

Can you pay the bills yourself?

and or ask for two months on one month off? (pay extra two months, the next you both get to waste spare cash, but no new debt)

[jamiefic]

How about letting him know how important it is to you to pay off that CC debt (which I'm sure you've done), but then ask if he'd be willing to read one book on that kind of thing since it would mean a lot to you. Maybe Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover?

[maat55]

Are you able to work year round? Do you two have a retirement plan, 401k or IRA? I know your frustration, DW is slowly coming around, I emphasize slowly.

With the economy news and multiple reports on how to become recession proof, many are coming around to financial awareness. Maybe some, what would we do questions, would spark his interest. Say something like: A lot of people are talking about this book.(Beit Suzie Orman or Dave Ramsey, DR my preference) Good luck.

[jIM_Ohio]

DH needs to get onboard. Do whatever it takes to make that happen.

[hasselfree]

Hi, I think you should freeze the card until it is paid off. let him know that once it is paid off, he can have the extra cash to puchase whatever he likes and not having to pay triple the price by having a balance on Discover card. Try calling Discover also to see if they can lower your interest rate.

[Judi Dial]

Thank you all for hte ideas! My husband's family is known for being stubborn. The one sure way to get him NOT to do something is insist, I've learned that too. Also, the cc's are NOT in my name so I cannot do this without him. I CAN pay the bills, but he won't let go of that entirely either. He has to be in control.

No 401 except whatever he has at work, he cashed in the one from a previous job. I have some separate money, but everytime I get a chunk of it, all of a sudden I "owe" him for x or y or z. Or, he wants me to loan it to him and gee, it never gets paid back.

Yes, I can work full time, but haven't for a few years. The big kick with that right now is that we only have 1 car working, and he needs it available for his job. Also, we live in the country, so local jobs are not thick on the ground.

I can't freeze the cards, get rid of them, or lower their available balances.

The economic news may be the only thing that might help. He pulls his belt in when he gets laid off, but the minute he's got a job again, we're off. Somehow he always needs something!

Anyway, I managed to get the one card to zero, or will this month. The second card I'm not so sure about. I think there's 5 altogether? Six? I don't know. I carry a debit card and one cc for emergencies. That's it.

Thanks again!
JD

[maat55]

The good news is, that stubborn people, once they are committed to a plan, will stick with it. Most of your battle is just getting him to the water.

[jIM_Ohio]

He needs to get financially educated... and stubborn or not, the problem is not fixed until he buys into a plan.

Hire a financial advisor- even if it means paying loads or sales charges. Then 1 year later show him how to save money on the sales charges...

[Car Insurance Guy]

Judi I feel for you. It's a tough go when only one person is on board to paying down debt, etc. If I'm not mistaken, Dave Ramsey also recommends the husband and wife to go through his stuff together. If you don't then you're just introducing more conflict into the home.

For what it's worth, you could learn a skill that would be in high demand online, such as freelance writing. If you succeed in that arena, you could keep your own CCs in line and live the example you're proposing to DH.

You're obviously savvy enough to contribute to this forum. There's enough of a start to begin your own business - it doesn't sound like you have to make rent anytime soon, so you've got a nice starter cushion.