Help! My Wife is Spending All Our Money While I’m Away

Hey everyone,

I really need some advice. My name’s Harold, and I’m currently working in Portugal for six months. It’s a great opportunity, but there’s a big problem back home. My wife, Leah, seems to be spending our money like it’s going out of style. I never realized she was so willing to blow through our savings so quickly.

I get that she’s probably feeling lonely and maybe even a bit stressed with me being away, but this is getting out of hand. Every time I check our bank account, there’s a new charge for something we definitely don’t need. I’m talking about expensive dinners, shopping sprees, and even some high-end gadgets that we never discussed buying.

I’ve tried talking to her about it, but she just brushes it off and says she’s treating herself because she misses me. I don’t want to come off as controlling or make her feel worse, but we need to be smart about our finances, especially since we’re planning to buy a house next year.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you handle it? Should I set stricter budget limits or maybe even take control of the finances while I’m away? Any tips on how to have this conversation without causing a huge fight would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Harold