Do you guys find it harder to tell your female friends that you can't go to the mall because you are have a budget? I know a lot of problems right now that most husbands are not agreeing with the wife. DH finally had the courage to tell his friends that he can't go out for lunch with them because he is only allowed $40 every two weeks and he is down to $6.00 and believe it or not though instead of laughing and criticizing him they actually praise him for doing it. So why is it its harder for them to actually tell their male friends that they are on a budget? is it because of the I-bring-home-the-money-and-I-deserve-what-I-want attitude? As for me I don't care I tell friends flat out that we can't go out and eat because we are on a budget. I also notice that the word "budget" makes people scared that's why they don't like talking about it. Must be a man thing but I still don't understand why they get put down for saying the word B word. I guess a man will always have his pride.

I have no clue but I have a theory. I think it is peoples mentality for keeping up with the Joneses.

90% of our friends are SAHM's with working hubby's so no one really gets to go out unless it is a special event. All of the wives have our own CD's/IRA's.

As for the clothes shopping, we all go together and see who can save the most on the clothes.

For the groceries, we combine our coupons and buddy shop so we do not go over our budgets. We also go to BJ's and split the cases of stuff we buy.

They all joke about the budgets we put them on by asking if they can trade wives for that week so they can get more money.

The 10% that have two income households seem to be in more financial problems than we are because instead of saving the other income, they spend it.

I think it makes them feel like they will be judge for failing at being a good provider. With my friends, that know what it is like to have to scrimp by, I don't mind telling them I can't afford to go out, but with other people, I find it hard too, to tell them I can't afford it. It makes me feel like a failure I guess.

That sounds like fun rdhill007...wish I had friends to do that with!

My husband and I try budgets all the time, but something always comes up and it gets broken. but, he says that I stay home raise the kids and clean, cook etc and he brings me home the money to pay bills etc and that all he needs is gas money and a little extra something for like a snack, pop, a beer after work etc. We don't have alot of friends that we talk to anymore only because they are in thier mid-30's and act like they are in high school still and it drives us nuts. So, really we don't do alot except go to my parents since the kdis have a pony now so that is our entertainment or we have satelite since we don't go to the movies etc so we didn't cut that out of our budget.

He has no problem telling people that we don't have the money, because we don't have the money. Especially now that I am detemined to get debt free 3 years. I really don't have alot of friends to do anything with and if I do anything we go out once every few months for drinks. But, they know that we don't have the extra money.

Susan

I Guess I am similar in that alot of my friends are SAHMs and many of them have taken that extra job of baby sitting, dirict sales or going back to work part time. So much of what we do together is Cheep we like playdates at peoples homes, parks and walks. I think we all realize that we don't have to go over our budget to have fun. When I tell people I am on a budget many times I get the question about budgets and how to make one. It would be interesting to me to see how many of my friends even have a budget.
With my DH I guess he doesn't talk about it much. He is the quite type. Yes I think he would love to have a little surplus cash but at the same time he is happy with what he has.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

You are not a failure. They are in denial.