Best Financial Decision My Fiancee Made

With all the one-sided insight I have provided into my fiancee's finances, I thought I should share a financial decision that I think puts her financials in perspective.

My fiancee is very conservative with her money. She has managed to pay off her student loans, purchase her first home, and spends less than she earns since finishing school (all on a meager teacher salary). However, she has some different priorities than me. Signs of what she values can be seen through her spend - home security system, ongoing termite protection, small deductibles on car and home insurance (hint - SECURITY).

However, there was one key financial decision that shows me that she "gets it". When we first started dating she was very proud of being financially independent. She rented her own apartment and eventually purchased her own home. She was very proud that she could afford her place all on her own and obviously preferred not to have roommates and any baggage/headaches that came with it.

On a small teacher salary living alone consumes a sizable portion of income. I always struggled to justify why this made sense (especially when I had roommates and earned more).

It just so happened awhile back my fiancee's brother decided to attend a nearby university. My fiancee recognized that it would be a better educational environment for her brother if he lived with her. However she was more than reluctant to even think about offering a room to her brother due to the hassle factor, the arguments, the dirty dishes, inconvenience, etc that likely come from having a sibling living with you.

After awhile, in her own way, my fiancee was able to realize that the reduction in living expenses would significantly improve her ability to save. She realized that both the intangible and financial benefits outweighed the constant inconvenience that she would have to endure.

I am so proud of her ability to reach this conclusion. This showed me so much about her character and her ability to "get it" in terms of living a lifestyle that allows for wealth accumulation. While we will always have differences about what sacrifices need to be made or what small luxuries to splurge on, I know that she has the right mindset and together we can reach our financial goals.

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Comments (6)

Roommates are a huge issue to deal with. Personally, I think having roommates living with you in your home and living in apartment are two totally different things. I just wrote this long article about some of the differences. I am moving out of my own home, moving back with the parents, just so i don't have to live with people and own the home.

Posted by efipo.com | November 17, 2006 11:53 AM

Hey 2Mil,
That is great to hear. Just so you know I know that some of my comments about wives sucking money away isn't meant as a reflection on her. Beyond Suze I don't know of thrifty women LOL. My wife pretty much comes close to Suze in many ways and I am lucky. Anyway, she sounds like a really great girl, she really does and I'm happy to "internet know" you :) You need to come up with a name for her..maybe "2MilWife", "2MilBoss" or "Halfof2Million"....maybe she should create her own blog and you could link to it- it might be fun so that women out there could relate..who knows but glad she is wonderful....just hide the credit cards ;)

Posted by 1Mil | November 17, 2006 4:14 PM

Your fiancee sounds like a keeper. It takes most people a long time to figure out what she has.

Posted by Nagel | November 18, 2006 7:55 AM

I chose my wife because she is independent with her finances also. Me being in the military made it important for me to find someone who can handle me not being there every second. Like you said, there aren't many thrifty women out there.

Posted by Brandon | November 19, 2006 12:34 AM

I think that having the right mindest when it comes to your financial situation is more important than the specific things you can do. Now with that said co-habitation is a very challenging thing even if it's with family. Most children want to get as far from their parents when they go to school so moving in with even a sibling to go to school is a significant sacrifice. From the sounds of it your fiance has a very good grasp of the mindset for saving money (and siblings are probably better roommates than someone you don't know at all)

Posted by Matt | November 20, 2006 1:38 PM

The merging of finances is a wonderful thing...you share your expenses and continue to build logarithmically until.....you start having children.
Between childcare and a 529...I "spend/invest" a low five figure amount and my child is only 19 months.

Posted by dj | December 17, 2006 11:23 AM