Joint bank accounts/credit cards? Come in!

Tryingtogetpregnant · March 2010

What do you do when it comes to gift giving? 99.9% of the time I love that we have shared accounts and credit cards. It makes things so much easier for us and we have no problems with it. However, it makes it difficult when it comes to gift giving! I want to get my DH his baby gift; however, I want it to be a total surprise. We usually just have a rule that we won't look at our statements online until after a holiday. He doesn't know I'm going to do anything for the baby though. I don't want to mention anything to him because he'll know something is up. Plus, my bday is next weekend, so I am on the "no looking" policy right now. Someone has to be looking at our statements!

So, what do you do in this situation? I have thought maybe to ask my sister to put it on her card and then pay her for it? I can just tell my DH not to look at the statements and he'll just know something is going on? I don't want to get my own credit card, but it's sort of tempting in these type of situations.

caden · March 2010

We're cool with knowing what each other spends so we don't avoid statements or anything. Could you take some cash out without him getting suspicious?

Mouseygail · March 2010

can you take out extra cash at the store a few times to pay for it? or does it have to be through a credit payment? if so...your sister might be the best option

all of our stuff is joint too

Smudges*Mom · March 2010

Can you take cash out and tell him it so for something for the baby. Maybe something that a local crafts person is making, thus cash is needed?

piccolina09 · March 2010

Just did it today, took out cash from an account, by the time he sees it in a statement, the gift will already be given.

Mrs.Reem · March 2010

Go to Target and buy a $100 (or whatever denomination) Visa Gift Card to buy the gift with. That way he doesn't know where the gift was from. OR... get some extra cash every time you go to the grocery store and save up to buy the gift.

MrsRyan61804 · March 2010

I'd ask someone to use their card and then pay them back. I usually take 1 of our credit cards and tell him not to look at the statement, but its hard to do if you want it to be a total surprise.

Tryingtogetpregnant · March 2010

I forgot to mention that I have to buy this gift online, so it has to be with a credit card. And, it's not from a usual buying store (like Target or somewhere) that he wouldn't wonder about.

Tryingtogetpregnant · March 2010

Mrs.Reem:

Go to Target and buy a $100 (or whatever denomination) Visa Gift Card to buy the gift with. That way he doesn't know where the gift was from. OR... get some extra cash every time you go to the grocery store and save up to buy the gift.

Good idea on the Visa GC - can you spend that anywhere or are there limitations?

schmoodle · March 2010

I'm in charge of the bills, so if I'm buying something for him it's a non issue. If he is getting something for me he'll often tell me not to look at the credit card statement for "x" days or something. That's fine with me, it doesn't completely ruin the surprise.

Mrs.Reem · March 2010

You can use them anywhere. The card number is on the back of them so they're great for using online.

jds0521 · March 2010

We have a joint acct. that most of our paychecks & all of our bills, gas, groceries, etc. are paid out of. But, we also kept separate checking accts. (that we get a very small portion of our pay checks direct deposited into) & we each have 1 personal credit card that we pay out of our personal checking accts. It makes it very easy in situations like anniversaries & bdays.

mrspresley · March 2010

i usually ask my brother to put it on his card and then pay him back... but i love the other ideas in this post, so thanks for asking

now i am really curious what you are going to buy though!

negrilbride07 · March 2010

You can get the Visa gc from your bank also.

kme930 · March 2010

I would get someone else to pay for it and pay them back in cash that you strategically build up.

I'm not sure about Visa gift cards, but Amex gift cards charge a fee, so you would end up paying 3-5% more for whatever it is you're buying doing it that way.

DH and I have joint accounts, but I'm in charge and we each still have separate credit cards for things like this. That way neither of us know what's going on until the bills are paid. Probably not the best way to do it, but we each had legacy credit cards from before being married and we each kept one.

Tryingtogetpregnant · March 2010

mrspresley:

i usually ask my brother to put it on his card and then pay him back... but i love the other ideas in this post, so thanks for asking

now i am really curious what you are going to buy though!

I am getting him a personalized baseball glove from www.rawlings.com that he can play catch with our little boy someday.

Good point on the Visa GC - I know the AmEx one is that way (to charge the fee) - is the Visa one? Anyone know?

Mrs.Reem · March 2010

The $25 visa card I just bought had a $4 fee. Not sure about bigger amounts.

jamalynn · March 2010

Could you pay cash? DH and I each have one credit card that is just our own for this purpose. So I would just use the credit card with just my name on it.

Want a personalized experience?

Joint bank accounts/credit cards? Come in!

Re: Joint bank accounts/credit cards? Come in!

Choose Another Board

Search Boards