'My husband is a spendthrift...'

Dear Diana,
I have been married for four years. My husband is quite a spendthrift. He loves to splurge on himself, me and the house. He keeps changing his phone every six to eight months. He has a weakness for glares and keeps buying them.

Illustration/Amit Bandre

He also tells me to be up-to-date on the fashion front. I am the one who has to tell him to stop. He runs an AC duct maintenance business. He has had several ups and downs - more downs in the business. I am working and often end up supporting him financially. I have often told him to go slow, but he does not listen to me. He keeps telling me that he is going to crack a big business deal soon, but I have been waiting for it ever since our marriage. How do I make him understand the need to save and economise? When I tell him all this, he tells me I am a miser.
- Manaara

Dear Manaara,
It is clear that you two are opposites in nature. You are money wise, but he lets go and lives life to the fullest. As you have a well paying job, he feels he can go berserk even when his business is not good, because there is that additional income. He has become complacent as he is well aware that whenever he is running short of cash, you are there to fulfill his needs. For starters, have a chat with him about how you feel about his extravagant habit. Second, learn to say no. As you are paying for the daily household running and also regularly giving him money, he feels he can get away with it. Be firm and tell him that this cannot go on as saving for unexpected contingencies is important.