Husband refuses to buy wife's plane ticket despite having the money, gets a reality check

It takes tons of effort and understanding to make a marriage work, especially when it comes to the matter of money. Couples who fail to set their expectations about how to split the money might end up in a chaotic marriage. One instance of how poor financial planning can impact a marriage was shared on Reddit by u/Electronic_Bus7936. While complaining about his wife's irresponsible spending habits, the husband asked the Reddit community if he was wrong for refusing to buy plane tickets to Europe for her, though he could afford them. While he seemed to have expected support, the internet decided to give him a reality check.

The husband began his post by explaining how fiscally irresponsible his wife was. When the couple started spending money together at the beginning of their marriage, the wife was too lavish despite contributing very little to the combined income. "So when we combined the money, she went crazy. I had many conversations with her over it and even tried to get her to take a money financial class," the spouse shared. His efforts bore no fruit and she only got worse with her spending. Last year, they found out she was in "bad credit card debt."

The husband was intolerant of this irresponsible behavior and gave his wife the choice of divorce or equally sharing financial responsibilities. In addition to contributing to the house expenses, the wife was also asked to fix her credit card debt. "To her credit, she took it seriously and she is fixing her credit card debt. We have separate money and I pay for the bills while her only worry is to buy groceries," he explained. But things took a turn when it was time to go on a family vacation to Europe. Since the husband's parents covered the costs of accommodation, the only thing the couple had to pay for was their plane tickets and vacation activities. "She informed me that she would not be able to afford the ticket. I pointed out that the trip is in about four months, so she should be able to save up," he revealed.

But the wife wanted to use her money to pay off her debt and the husband decided to exclude her from the vacation. "This started an argument that I was not willing to pay for her ticket and would go on vacation without her. I told her that this was her own fault and if she was responsible with money, we wouldn't be here," the husband wrote, concluding his post. Some Reddit users pointed out that the issue was on both sides. "She needs to be wiser about money, sure, I'll give you that. But she is trying. You are just punishing her. You are just being cruel," said u/IrrelevantManatee. "You're right, but would you rather be right or happy/keep the peace? This isn't worth the fight," added u/Salt_Initiative1551. 

However, most people were inclined to point out the lack of empathy and understanding from the husband's side. "This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing. And you leave her behind? It may be her problem, but the overall problem belongs to both of you unless you divorce," pointed out u/Rocketgirl8097. "She made a mistake and she's acknowledged it and fixing it. Why even be together or married if you'd prefer her not to be there as some form of punishment? Most loving partners would prefer their spouses to be there," chimed in u/Icy_Calligrapher7088. "Buy your wife a ticket and experience life together and handle the situation more appropriately when you get back," added u/pulppupil.

This article originally appeared 2 months ago.