My husband kept me on a tiny budget while he splurged on expensive luxury items for himself. Gets taught a lesson.
When I met Tom, I was 22 and he was the sweetest man I’d ever known. So when he proposed three months later, I married him. My grandmother used to say ‘marry in haste, repent at leisure,’ and she was right.
At first, everything was wonderful. We got our first tiny apartment, and because money was tight, we were very careful. I clipped coupons, bought on promotions, and stuck to my frugal shopping list. I was sure things would get better, but I was wrong.
Two years after we were married, Tom got his first promotion, and I looked forward to having a little more money, but it was not to be. I discovered I was pregnant, and Tom immediately pointed out that we’d have to be extra careful with a baby on the way.
When my sweet Angelina was born I was so happy! I could imagine myself dressing her up in pretty little outfits like a living doll, taking her out for ice cream and to the zoo on family outings…
But as Angelina grew older, I quickly discovered that there wasn’t enough money to spare. Tom had insisted I give up my job when my Angel was born, saying that child care would be more expensive than what I earned.
Now when I asked for money for anything outside my budget (even for ice cream), Tom protested. I had to account for every cent, and Tom became practically obsessed with our expenses.
One day, he came home and confessed that his boss had been promoted and the new one didn’t seem to like him. Tom worried that the new boss would fire him and so he was determined that we had to save more money.
