DEAR DAVE: My wife received $100 from her parents for her birthday. When I asked what she planned to do with it, she said she was going to add it to her spending money. I think she should put it toward us paying off debt, but I bit my tongue and didn’t say anything. We’re in pretty good shape financially, so should I mention it or just let it go? — Charles
DEAR CHARLES: I’m sure you’re a smart man, so you’ll understand when I tell you — for the sake of your marriage and mental health — to let this one go. Seriously, is $100 going to move the needle that much? It’s her birthday, and it was a gift designed to let her do something nice for herself. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with her spending a little bit on herself on her special day.
If she had asked me about this, I would have told her it was fine. If she had asked me about putting it toward debt, I would have said that’s fine, too. It’s not a big deal for someone to have a little fun once in a while. But it’s a bad plan for you to try to get at her gift. Just let it go, and do your part to make sure she knows that you love her and that she has a great birthday!
