A survey of 4000 adults showed that men on average spent £2545 without their partner's knowledge in the past year. Women spent an average of £1769.
The young are more secretive with their spending than older generations, with an average of £4303 in the past year. Those over 55 spent an average of just £384.
Jenny and I have never bought anything secretly, except presents to each other. We wouldn't dream of such sneaky behaviour. And we aren't embarrassed by anything we buy. I might think Jenny has been a bit extravagant, she might think the same about me, but secret spending never crosses our minds.
I think it says something negative about the nature of your relationship if you feel you can't be upfront about what you're buying. Especially if your secret purchases are so hefty that you're getting into alarming levels of debt that the other person doesn't know about.
How can you justify the secrecy?
PS: The figures above are mysterious. How are they compiled? Do people really remember every secret purchase they've made over the last year? And the exact price they paid? Or are the figures based on estimates?
I had a friend who would buy something for his model railroad, hide it behind a ceiling panel in his garage, then bring it out later so that when his wife asked if it was new, he could say he'd had it awhile. Why would he tell me that?
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: Yes indeed, why would he tell you that? And why did he feel the need to keep his purchases so secret?
DeleteI never hid anything from Ken. I paid all the bills and he would ask me to buy something online for him if he wanted something. I can't imagine having to hide things like that in a relationship.
ReplyDeleteMary: I always imagined you're the sort of person who likes to have everything upfront and not hidden.
DeleteI'm surprisingly not secretive about my spending at all! I must work on that.
ReplyDeleteSx
Ms Scarlet: So Mr Blue must be fine with anything you happen to buy.
DeleteI can’t imagine that sort of relationship.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: What sort of relationship can survive that sort of constant secrecy?
DeleteI don't nor have done secret spending. My extravagances has been front and center, live in a barn and eat all our money!
ReplyDeleteSandra: Is that where I'm going wrong? I should live in a barn and eat all my money....
DeleteNo secret spending. Everything we have is joint & we feel we're on the same team. I didn't want that kind of relationship.
ReplyDeletePaula: Feeling you're on the same team, that's a nice way of putting it.
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