Do you know your spouse CC usage?

[sv2007]

With the recent credit card threads, I'm curious how many people know what their spouse credit card usage is. I assume the if both share the same cc account, then knowledge is default. So, this question applies more to spouses with separate CC accounts.

I don't know how much my wife spends on her credit cards (and don't really care). She doesn't care to know what I spend money on, except that since she usually handles my CC bills, she'd raise a few questions on unusual charges once a while.

When we have unusually expensive purchase, we might tell the other to move extra money into the checking account (unless that person does it). The CC checking account is managed like petty cash, not a lot of control/monitoring.

How about your family?

[kork13]

When we got married 2.5 years ago, I intentionally added her to my accounts, and I got access to hers. At this point, we basically have everything as joint. I run our finances to a 'T', though funny enough she's the one to periodically look over our credit card charges and ask me about this or that. I keep an eye on it all online as well, though I tend to be obsessively observant, and already know what she's spent money on (whether seeing receipts, conversation, shopping bags, or whatever).

[disneysteve]

None of the choices was exactly right but I picked that we share an account, which is partially true.

Our finances are joint. Neither of us has our own separate bank accounts. It all goes into one pool and all bills get paid from that pool. Since I do the bill paying, I see all of the charges no matter which of us makes them or on which card.

We have 4 credit cards. Two are joint and we each have a Discover card of our own (which is why none of the answers totally fit our situation).

[MonkeyMama]

I'd say that not only do we have only joint credit cards, but we also discuss most purchases.

[rennigade]

Since we're both into credit card churning/playing the rewards game we've always had separate credit cards in our own names.

The only time I ever know what she puts on her cc is when shes about to make a "large" purchase. Same with me...ill tell her what things cost if its a little pricey. We're both discipline with money so both know that neither would do anything stupid with overboard spending.

[disneysteve]

The only time I ever know what she puts on her cc is when shes about to make a "large" purchase.

Agreed. I see the charges when the bill comes but I don't know what they're going to be in advance. And virtually never does DW make a large purchase. That's usually my job. Her charges are all pretty routine things - Target, gas, some occasional clothing purchases, etc. She would never go out and make a major purchase without me knowing about it. We're in this together. It doesn't work if one person is out spending money without discussing it with the other.

[Snydley]

we've always had separate credit cards in our own names.

The only time I ever know what she puts on her cc is when shes about to make a "large" purchase. Same with me...ill tell her what things cost if its a little pricey.

This is us as well. We have a budget check in at the middle and end of each month, where we tell each other the total spent on bank and credit cards and our cc balances.

Even though all the money comes from our joint income, I don't want all shared accounts with him, because I like to be able to budget my own spending during the month without DH knowing every purchase I make. I need that feeling of choosing how to spend our agreed monthly $$ without scrutiny. That said, if something is expensive and/or unusual I discuss with him first.

[Fishindude77]

I pay the bill. So long as I don't see a huge jump in the monthly bill I don't get into the details.

[StormRichards]

I have a few store cards solely in my name, but no major credit cards that are not joint. We have a shared focus on controlled spending/saving for retirement, but we don't question each others' purchases. There has never been any surprise purchases by either of us, because neither of us would ever make a large purchase without first discussing it.

Personally, I would not want a spouse who states they "don't really care" how I spend money. Not that I am fully buying that anyway.

[msomnipotent]

I pay the bills, so I know what he buys. We usually don't ask each other about how much to spend, but we have an unwritten rule to talk about big purchases. I watch our bills like a hawk and question any odd purchases. We have been compromised 4 times already.

I wish he would use the credit cards more often. He uses his debit card for everything and then doesn't write anything into the register. Sometimes it can be over $1,000 descrepancy. Plus, we don't earn points on our debit card like we do on the credit cards.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I pay the bills so i know. He does not and doesn't care enough to ask.