1 in 10 Americans Fights With Their Partner Over Credit Card Spending. Here Are 2 Steps to Avoid Conflict

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Is credit card spending a big source of conflict in your relationship? Read on for ways to avoid those fights. 

It’s not exactly a secret that money tends to be a huge driver of conflict among romantic partners. In fact, married couples routinely get divorced due to financial disagreements.

It’s not all that surprising, then, to learn that 11% of couples argue over credit card spending, according to recent data from Debt.com. But that’s also not a good thing. And if it’s a pattern you’ve fallen into, here are a couple of ways to potentially avoid it.

1. Set a “must-ask” spending threshold for non-essential expenses

If you pay your utility bills with a credit card and your gas bill comes to $190 in a given month, that’s the sort of charge that probably won’t result in a major disagreement. After all, you need heat in your home, and if that’s what it costs, there’s not a lot you or your partner can do about it.

Rather, chances are, if you’re fighting with your partner over credit card spending, it relates to non-essential expenses you’re charging — things like meals out, gadgets, or non-work clothing. And chances are, it relates to purchases of this nature that only benefit one of you at a time. So to avoid conflict, one thing you may want to do is set a “must-ask” threshold for these types of expenses.

You may decide that if you’re going to be making a non-essential purchase above $20, that you and your partner need to consult the other before going through with it. That could mean having to make sure your partner is on board with you joining a friend for dinner at a restaurant. But if that helps you avoid an argument, it’ll be worth it.

2. Maintain a “fun account” for each of you

You and your partner might have a joint savings account you maintain for emergency expenses, like car and home repairs. If you’re tired of arguing about credit card spending, try this.

Have each of you allocate a preset amount of money to your own “fun” savings account each month from your paychecks. That amount can be $30, $50, $100, or more, depending on what you can afford. But it should be the same amount for both of you. The balance in your “fun account” then represents how much you can charge individually on non-essential purchases without an argument.

So let’s say you haven’t touched your “fun account” in months and have $300 sitting in there. That should give you free rein to use that $300 for an impromptu spa day, a gaming system, or anything you want.

Of course, once you deplete your “fun account,” you’ll need to build a balance back up before you can charge personal non-essentials again. But this way, you’re going about things fairly.

Don’t let the fighting persist

Fighting over money is no fun, and that extends to arguments about credit card usage. So if you’ve been butting heads over that, try to employ these fixes. They could not only help your relationship improve, but also, spare you the stress of winding up in credit card debt.

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