Squirreling it away, in a sneeky way

[suzysaver]

My hubby has always been bad about saving, and money just burns a whole in his pocket and he can't stand it. Well I do all the money and books, so if I don't let him see it....he can't spend it. I realize this is sneeky, but it's the only way. I was wondering if I'm alone??? or if there are others out there??
He has access to both our joint and savings account and he is pretty good about not touching the savings, but he can nickel and dime the checking account to death. When I know we have a little extra I transfer it over to another account, I have 2 ING online accounts that he doesn't have access to and doesn't know exist. I feel a little sneeky, but it is for emergencies.

[Valerie in WA]

I don't have secret accounts, but I do sneak some money away. After I pay everything that is due between now and next payday, I transfer all but $50 over to savings. He nickel & dimes that $50, but if I left $200 in there, he'd nickel & dime all that!

Well, I guess I do have little cash stashes. He knows about them, but I'm a bit vague about the amounts in them. I keep a certain amount of cash on hand for distasters (earthquake, prolonged power outage, etc) and he knows how much is in there now, but as I was building it up, I kept quiet. I also keep some 'mad money' in my room. We don't really talk about it. But it's 'extra' money, like if I babysit for a friend, or get a birthday check. I use it to buy disaster supplies that are beyond my household budget.

[chatterweb]

I mover money from the main account to the MMA. I tell hubby how much and all but he is just glad I am on top of the finances, and as long as he has money he has been alot more frugal this past year, for him anyways...
Funny, he thinks I sneak money, but I do not. He does not even have any of the passwords to the online accounts, he just does not care to know and the computer frustrates him anyways.
I do tend to sock away money, like the cash gifts of $1200 we got for Christmas were joint gifts, I gave him $20.00 and the rest went into savings.

[Missy]

DH doens't know i have a seperate business account for my avon and brown bag parties. It keeps that money out of our accounts and is sort of secret i guess. I have a change jar he doesn't know about. He kept raiding my last one so no more having that out in plain sight for him. Now that it is behind stuff he doesn't know whats in it and what my plans are for it.

[warramra]

I don't know if you would call it sneaky. My DH has nothing really to do with our finances except earning it. He wants it that way. So, to be able to save anything I move the money out of the checking that we have left, or don't need for a particular pay period. Otherwise as long as the atm slip says we have money, my dh will keep spending it.

[FrugalMomof3]

This is a really good topic and I have to admit I have had an account opened in my daughters name to stash money away but it didnt work out well, this time I just have a basic stash which is our EF but he "really" doesnt know about it, he just thinks the money that's NOT in our joint bank account was used for bills, yeah sneaky but like most of you ladies, money in the bank burns a hole in DH's pocket as well so I have to stash some or we'd be broke.

[ironmaiden]

You could put $20 in my father's pocket and tell him to walk around the block and he'd come back without a dime. Money burned a hole in his pocket.
My mother hid money all over the house - before the days of ATMs.
And she didn't let him touch the bank accounts.

[suzysaver]

Thanks ladies..I knew I wasn't alone. I guess I was feeling a little guilty...I discussed a little about what we need to start saving for with hubby this morning after posting this. I didn't discuss those accounts, but was trying to show him how many things we need to save for: Car breakdowns, new t.v. down the road (currently going threw green fits), christmas next year, camping trip this summer, ect.
He admitted it and said "you know my mind doesn't work that way", "I just can't seem to think that way". I felt better after he said that, and he understands what I'm trying to do and I really don't think he wants to know.

[geckoace]

i used to but i had to dip into it, i do still have a few hundred spread out in accounts that he doesnt have access to and thats the only thing keeping me sane. I fully intend to seize custody of our tax return since i file the taxes and enter the account to deposit it into. so we can put some money toward things we need and savings not a nintendo wii which i know he has his eye on.

[AmyBoz]

I used to squirrel a little money away in different places in the house. I haven't done that in awhile, though. I may start again, but I don't think I'll keep it a secret. I used to try to keep them a secret from dh, but I always wound up telling him, cuz I hate keeping things from him.

[AmyMCGS]

I've been thinking about "hiding" a little money in my old checking account (it's had a balance of $7 for years, we've just never driven to the bank to close it out) and saving it as a surprise vacation fund. But, like AmyBoz said, I think I'd wind up telling DH as I don't like keeping things from him.

[Telephus44]

I don't hide money, but since we have a "his, hers, and ours" system, I always have funds that are in my name only. When we sit down and discuss money together I have no problem telling DH how much "I" have, and it makes me feel a little better knowing that if for whatever reason we needed it, I have some. I mean, we do have joint savings for emergencies and stuff, but I think there's a certain peace of mind just from having a few accounts in my own name.

[FarmerSue]

Not doing any hiding but I don't disclose everything either......does that make sense. My parents used to sit at the table and go through every transaction. Not for me. He makes it, it gets direct deposited and I spread it out. Our EF is in my name only because he's too busy to go in and sign the other form. Other than that he almost never spends any money.....like ever! I keep telling him to pick this or that up and he never does. I tease him.....he's so tight he squeeks when he walks!

[dmvezina]

My dh doesn't even know our EF exists! He doesnt' even notice when I transfer 3% of his paycheck into it!! I've been telling him for years we need to start an account like this but he always has some excuse. So, I just went and did it "secretly". It works better this way. Then when something happens, we have the funds.

[Emjo]

DH knows about our savings but I have total say as to how much goes in and when. I do all of the budgeting and tell him how much we have to spend...he prefers it that way.