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I used to hide my credit card debt from my wife, but a talk last month changed my mind
For about three years, I kept a credit card with a $12,000 balance secret from my wife. I told myself it was my problem to fix and I didn't want to stress her out. Last month, we were in our kitchen in Cincinnati, and she was trying to plan a summer trip. I got that tight feeling in my chest and made up some excuse about work being busy. She looked at me and just said, 'Something feels off. You've been like this for a long time.' That direct call-out, with no anger, just worry, broke me. I sat down and showed her the statements. She was upset, sure, but more that I'd carried it alone. We're making a real plan together now, even if it means no vacation this year. Has anyone else been through that first scary talk about money with their partner?
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danielb431mo ago
Focus on the lying, not the dollar amount.
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mary7761mo ago
Okay but $12,000? That's not some crazy amount. A lot of people have car loans bigger than that. You made it sound like you were hiding a second family. It was a credit card, not a gambling addiction. I get the lying part was bad, but the actual debt seems pretty normal these days.
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