Should A Couple Share The Checkbook?

I love the the holidays. Or rather I love to buy Christmas gifts, especially for my husband.

But, when I decided to leave my corporate job to start The Pet Set, I didn’t realize that the first couple of years were going to mean that I would be penniless.

Throughout our 20 year marriage, we have had several checkbooks: his, mine and the house.

As someone who was reared in a household where money was tight and mom had to scrounge around for cash, I swore to myself I would have my own money and that I would never ask my husband to supplement my earnings.

Somehow to me, that meant I had a bit of control.

For the third Christmas in a row, while my business is picking up steam, I still cannot draw a salary. So, what we decided to do was for my husband to buy “gifts for the house”.

You know, appliances, landscaping, calendars…ick.

What I’ve done in the past is offer him, what I thought, were creative opportunities…such as selecting the concert of his choice…biiiiiggg mistake (the billionth Springsteen concert!!).

This year, I’d like to arrange for him to go to a spa to get a massage (it’s ok…the suprise factor doesn’t exist in our set-up.)

But I feel terrible…it means that he has to pay for his own spa treatment. Nice idea in theory, but if you have to pay for your own spa, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having a no-stress experience?

So, what I’ll probably do is make him a nice dinner…the effort counts as a gift, doesn’t it?

I just can’t wait for The Pet Set to take off so I can re-gain control of my finances and my life.