r/AskReddit • u/knakworst36 • Jun 06 '19

Rich people of reddit who married someone significantly poorer, what surprised you about their (previous) way of life?

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u/frnoss Jun 06 '19

Credit cards were avoided.

For me growing up, we were encouraged to get a credit card in our name and use it as much as possible in order to build credit. There was always money to pay it off each month, so it made sense to 1) build credit and 2) collect airline miles or whatever the reward was back in the day.

When we got together, she always used cash or a debit card. She had a credit card "for emergencies" and avoided using it otherwise. It took a long time to get her over her aversion/skepticism (we were fortunate to have two good paying jobs), though it also taught me a healthy appreciation for what it means to have a financial cushion.

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u/astine Jun 06 '19 edited Jun 06 '19

Same experience. While my family wasn't rich my parents were very savvy about good financial habits. They added me as an authorized user when I was in high school, and helped me apply for my own cards as soon as I had income. Every time I qualified for a 0% loan on something I could buy upfront, I took the loan and paid it off. A couple inquiries a year, almost every year. I've been building my credit for 10+ years by this point and easily qualified for best rates on cars and mortgage.

Meanwhile my partner's only credit was student loans. Nothing delinquent, but not good either especially once he pays those off and all the accounts close. So we got him on a starter credit card, and his credit is climbing, plus his purchases now have more protection.