A recent survey by CESI Debt Solutions found that 80% of married couples spend money their spouse doesn’t know about. The provider of debt management and debt counseling services polled 200 Americans and found that 18.5% of married people have a credit card their spouse doesn’t know about and 15% have a secret bank account.
Secret Purchases
While there can be a variety of reasons someone decides to spend money in secret, 60% of those surveyed said they keep purchases secret to avoid problems at home. Furthermore, 38% feared that if their spouse found out about their secret spending it would result in a separation or divorce. The most common purchases made in secret are clothing and accessories, food/dining, beauty/personal care items, and gifts.
Financial Infidelity
If you, too, regularly buy things without your spouse knowing and/or have secret credit card debt, there could be a problem. Financial infidelity can be a symptom of serious problems in a marriage. Having credit card debt your spouse doesn’t know about indicates a lack of trust. But it also could mean that you have a problem controlling compulsive spending and are afraid to be found out.
Get Help with Debt
If your spending has gotten out of control and you have a lot of credit card debt, consider getting help from a debt counseling firm. A debt counselor can help you get to the root of financial problems and put together a plan for paying off debt and curbing the urge to spend in secret.
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