10 Things to Do if Your Spouse is Bad With Money
If you’re unhappy with your partner’s spending habits, you’re not alone. One in five people in a relationship think their partner is bad with money, making them 10 times more likely to break up in the future.*
So, what’s your plan, then? Do nothing and see what happens? Or take a few steps to get on the same financial page with your partner?
While there’s no one right way for couples to handle their finances, here are some things you can do to potentially repair some damage and get on the right financial track moving forward. Together.
1. Have Open and Honest Money Talks Regularly
When it comes to a relationship’s financial success, being on the same page with your spouse is kind of a big deal. The truth is, they might not even realize they’re bad at money until you talk to them.
Scheduling regular conversations to discuss financial concerns and expectations will help you and your partner set realistic money goals while avoiding negative surprises. You might even learn that some of your own spending habits need to change.
Yes, if you both aren’t used to talking about money, this will feel a little awkward at first, but it will get easier over time. And, for the sake of your relationship’s long-term health — and maybe more importantly — your own happiness, it will be totally worth it.
2. Ask This Website to Help Pay Your Credit Card Bills This Month
Your credit card company doesn’t really care if it was you or your partner who racked up the credit card debt. It’s getting rich by ripping both of you off with high interest rates — some up to 36%. But a website called AmOne wants to help.
If you owe your credit card companies $100,000 or less, AmOne will match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every single one of your balances.
The benefit? You’ll be left with one bill to pay each month. And because personal loans have lower interest rates (AmOne rates start at 6.40% APR), you’ll get out of debt that much faster. Plus: No credit card payment this month.
AmOne keeps your information confidential and secure, which is probably why after 20 years in business, it still has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
It takes two minutes to see if you qualify for up to $50,000 online. You do need to give AmOne a real phone number in order to qualify, but don’t worry — they won’t spam you or your partner with phone calls.
3. Let This App Pay You up to $83 When You Win Solitaire Games
OK, so maybe you’ve identified a spending problem. What about your income —could you use more? Who couldn’t?
There’s a free iPhone app called Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Most of the games are free, but cash players can join higher-stakes tournaments for bigger cash prizes. But there’s no pressure — there aren’t even any annoying ads.
With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
4. Save Up to $610/Year When You Use This Website To Find New Car Insurance
When you’re looking to cut spending in your relationship, every dollar counts. Did you know you can save some serious money just by switching car insurance companies?
It’s true — rates are at historic lows, and you could be paying way less for the same coverage. All you need to do is look for it.
But don’t waste your time hopping around to different insurance companies. Use a website called EverQuote to see all your options at once.
EverQuote is the largest online marketplace for insurance in the US, so you’ll get the top options from more than 175 different carriers handed right to you.
Take a couple of minutes to answer some questions about yourself and your driving record. With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance. In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.
5. Simplify Your Budget
Want to manage your money as an actual team? Create a budget. Ew, gross. We know. But it’s important to take a good look at what you’re both spending and where you can both cut back.
If you’re not sure where to even start, we favor the 50/20/30 budgeting method for its simplicity. Here’s how it works:
- 50% of your income goes toward essentials.
- 20% goes toward financial goals.
- 30% goes toward personal spending.
The key is to accept you can’t create the perfect budget in an hour. You’ll have to experiment to find what works best for your relationship.
6. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion
For a lot of us who are bad with money, we just can’t stop spending on things like going out for happy hour or other activities we enjoy. This is a great way to make some fun money.
It sounds strange, but brands want to hear your opinion. It helps them make business decisions, so they’re willing to pay you for it — up to $140 a month.
A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.
It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time.
And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.
They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.
It takes just a minute to set up your account and start getting paid to take surveys. Plus, right now, you’ll get a free 100-point welcome bonus just for becoming part of the community.
7. This Guy Added Nearly 300 Points to his Credit Score — See How You Can Raise Yours, Too*
When one or both of you have damaged your credit score, it can really mess with your future financial goals — whether that’s buying a house, or taking out a loan for something else.
The good news? A free website called Credit Sesame makes it easy to put your credit score on track to reach your goals. We even talked to one guy, James Cooper, of Atlanta, who used Credit Sesame to raise his credit score nearly 300 points in six months.*** He says they showed him exactly what to do — he was even able to open his first credit card.
What could adding 300 points to your score mean for your goals? It could easily save you thousands of dollars over the life of a car loan or mortgage.
Within 90 seconds, Credit Sesame will give you access to your credit score, any debt-carrying accounts and a handful of personalized tips to improve your score. You’ll even be able to spot any errors holding you back (one in five reports have one).
Make sure your plans don’t get sidelined by bad credit. Sign up for free (it only takes about 90 seconds) and see how much you could improve your score.
8. Let This Free App Save You $50/Month on Dining Out and Groceries
It’s no secret that things are getting more expensive these days — including food. But you both need to eat, right?
An app called Upside can help you save money every time you dine out or buy groceries. They keep it simple: Spend money at a participating grocery store or restaurant and earn an average of 13% cashback on groceries, or 17% at restaurants. Oh, and that’s real cash, not points.
Here’s how it works: Just download the Upside app and create a free account, then browse the map to find participating restaurants and stores in your area and claim an offer.
Pay for your groceries or meal with a card that’s stored in your Upside wallet, then tap “Check In” or take a picture of your grocery receipt — this will confirm you actually bought groceries or food (dine-in or takeout) at a participating location.
Upside will tally up your cashback earnings. And when you’re ready, you can transfer your funds to a bank account, PayPal account or exchange them for a gift card from brands like Starbucks and Amazon. You’ll get your money in two days or less.
People who use the app regularly save an average of $240 a year on groceries and $160 on dining out. Download the Upside app to get started — it’s completely free, and it works at more than 50,000 businesses, including gas stations.
9. Are You an Online Shopper? Copy This Strategy To Get a $526 Refund
Chances are you do some of your shopping online. Whether it’s pet food from Walmart, toilet paper on Target or even a flight to the in-laws for Thanksgiving, you’re probably leaving money on the table.
A free website called Rakuten has the hookup with just about every online store you shop, which means it can give you a kickback every time you buy.
In fact, since Denver resident Colleen Rice started using Rakuten, it’s sent her checks in the mail totaling $526.44. For doing nothing. Seriously. Rice says she uses Rakuten for things she already has to buy, like rental cars and flights.
It takes less than 60 seconds to create a Rakuten account and start shopping. All you need is an email address, then you can immediately start shopping your go-to stores through the site.
Plus, if you use Rakuten to earn money back within the first 90 days of signing up, it’ll give you an extra $10 on the first check it sends you. Talk about money for nothing.
10. Learn How to Build Healthy Money Habits, Together
One way to be a supportive partner is to learn and improve, together.
You might not want to take a Personal Finance 101 class together, but seize the opportunity now and listen to podcasts or read books — and, ahem, more of The Penny Hoarder. Shameless plug.
*https://www.policygenius.com/personal-finance/news/couples-money-survey-2019/
**Like Cooper, 60% of Credit Sesame members see an increase in their credit score; 50% see at least a 10-point increase, and 20% see at least a 50-point increase after 180 days.
Credit Sesame does not guarantee any of these results, and some may even see a decrease in their credit score. Any score improvement is the result of many factors, including paying bills on time, keeping credit balances low, avoiding unnecessary inquiries, appropriate financial planning and developing better credit habits.
