I don’t like spending money on birthday presents. If you’re related to me, know that if you received a nice gift from me, it came from my wife. The fact that both our names were on the card shows how generous she is in allowing me to play along and remain in good standing with the family.

She has her own issues; she doesn’t like budgeting. We both know this. Sometimes we fight while we look at our budget, each of us looking at it from different angles. Having a budget makes me feel secure, like I have some idea where our money is going, and there will be enough of it left at the month’s end (if she doesn’t spend it all on birthday presents – subtle jab, I know).