OK, so I understand a need vs. a want, but how do I convince my wife of this? She seems to think shopping is a need. She is living a set lifestyle, and my trying to save money to get out of debt is percieved by her as trying to change or downgrade her lifestyle.

Obviously if I got a raise or some how made more money I could use that money, but how can I get her to cooperate in saving money?

Anybody have any ideas or suggestions for me?

That is a great question. One I'm sure most of us will deal with. I think the best approach is to sit the other person down with some hard facts. Show them some printouts from calculators that show how long it will take to pay off the credit card at the current rate. If it's never show them a dollar figure for interest paid over the next 5, 10, even 20 years. When they see that you are spinning in a downward direction instead of coming up for air, they should have some understanding.

Of course depending on your situation, you could get drastic, and take all credit cards away, and only use cash to purchase things. Go old fashioned for a few months and get cash divided into envelopes for your budget, then when you need to pay for something, you take the money from the envelope. When the cash is gone, you've got to figure something else out.

Another trick is in the Ebook, now that you've posted a comment you have access to that area of the forum, get that ebook it has alot of good tips and tricks for you. One includes getting some extra cash that you didn't know you had. Thanks for posting!

Take her to the store and buy a really nice pair of scissors. Im mean a quality set! As you get into the car take them out of the bag and cut all the cards up leaving them in the bag. Job complete! Then go old fashion as suggested above.

I have no idea of how to do this either. I suppose I'm "whipped".

like the one given by c0lorado ron! but jokes apart a better financial discussion is really needed between you and your wife. involve her in the budget planning of the house. set some targets for shopping, Credit Card payments & debts, house expenses, kids etc. and include savings as one part in it. if she like some extravaganza's in life promise her that after saving for an 'X' amount of days or months, you will get her that
initially it will take some time but very soon she will start taking interest herself
vik

If you ask me, I would never put that in doubt.

Regards,
Hoodia Gordonii

Saving money will benefit her as well, so maybe she is a visual person and needs to SEE how limiting her spending and saving money will benefit her.