Just a short followup to Monday’s piece about marriage finances. I forgot to add a few small things that me and “P” did as well and wanted people to be aware of what’s up.
Gift Cards for Cash
For our wedding, P and I got many gift cards to many stores. It’s very important to note that stores will give customers cash back for gift cards but they need customers to specifically ask for it. So if for instance, you don’t need anything from Macy because you generally don’t shop there, you can go to the customer service desk and ask for cash in exchange for the gift card.
Many people feel guilty doing this because when someone buys you a present, you almost feel obligated to use it. What I have come to terms with is that the nature of why people give newlyweds presents is to help them get on their feet and get a jumpstart in life. Once you have received the present you are free to do whatever you want with it, and the “gifter” will generally be happy with whatever you decide.
You may ask, why wouldn’t everyone just give cash and let the bride/groom decide. I think most people want to be original and give something that the bride and groom will remember them by. Cash is very general.
Till next time.
Congragulations on your marriage. You have made a great start and thanks for the tips on gift cards. I was always wondering if it was possible to cash the gift cards. Your responsibilities increase when you are married as you summarised. Therefore, you need to look into a few solutions to deal with it like life insurance, setting up savings accounts and writing wills. Luckily there are a few benefits you can enjoy as well like setting up a home to share with someone, having more money to manage overall, getting cheaper auto insurance and in your case knowing that you have somone you can rely on financially as well as sentimentally. It is a great comfort to know that each one of you can support the other should it be required. Most couples need both salaries to have a comfortable life. Good luck and may all the happiness be with you.
Thank you Caroline. I agree! Are you married as well?
We sort of delegate the money responsibilities into my wife manages the day to day whereas I manage the savings. Because we can afford to live off one salary we are happily progressing forward 🙂