how do you hide your purchases from your partner?

[jules21]

yesterday i came home with a new helmet, a lidar 910 (which i'm pretty happy with so far). cunningly, i purchased it in the same colour as my old helmet (a 9 yr. old Met - i think i've earned an upgrade, never mind that i also own a Bell Sweep, which is my roadie helmet).

she had a second look as she let me in the front door, but she didn't say anything (she usually has a gripe if she spots me in new gear). i was laughing on the inside - she didn't pick it.

as we're getting married soon, has anyone got any further tips/tricks i can take on board?

[sogood]

Tell her that you are trying to save your head...

[jules21]

yes, but then she wants to buy a new helmet as well

[queequeg]

yesterday i came home with a new helmet, a lidar 910 (which i'm pretty happy with so far). cunningly, i purchased it in the same colour as my old helmet (a 9 yr. old Met - i think i've earned an upgrade, never mind that i also own a Bell Sweep, which is my roadie helmet).

she had a second look as she let me in the front door, but she didn't say anything (she usually has a gripe if she spots me in new gear). i was laughing on the inside - she didn't pick it.

as we're getting married soon, has anyone got any further tips/tricks i can take on board?

Helmets are easy.....I just told my wife that you have to replace them every 2 years due to UV Damage

[jules21]

brilliant! come on there must be heaps of lies being told, bring 'em on

[Ozkaban]

Oh she saw it alright. She was planning what shoes to buy to get you back

The best quote I heard about this was from the woodwork forums.. "my greatest fear is that when I'm gone, my wife will sell all my stuff for what I said I paid for it"

Cheers,
Dave

[Crawf]

I have most of my gear posted to work, then smuggle it into the household via the commuter backpack... though the receptionist at work is threatening to spill the beans

[macski]

brilliant! come on there must be heaps of lies being told, bring 'em on

I guess in this circumstance I might be considered the one likely to be lied to but I do buy a significant amount of cycling gear myself. You've already identified the consequences and possible solution. Every time my partner buys something, I do too. No need for lies from him but I think it does somewhat curb his extravagence.

[liamb]

I cant be bothered with deception, I just go with the truth. I save my space cash for what ever I want, as long as the bills are paid we spend our spare cash as we see fit. She buys trashy tv mags 20 sets of baby clothes all the same and clothes for herself, I buy what ever I need or want at the time. We might be a bit different with our finances, we have our own separate savings accounts but there is never any arguments or questions if its our own cash!

Bill

[TimW]

Man up and tell her the truth, i do that with mine and surprisingly there are no arguments



Well most of the time anyway!!!

[jules21]

well, i've discovered it's more fun to lie to her. it's like a game, i deny everything and she's always on the lookout. so i'm honest about being dishonest

and yes, she does just buy bike stuff as 'revenge'. but as Bill said, she also buys all her girly stuff on top so i reckon we're even.

[Tim]

I've hidden my last two new bike purchases in the next door neighbour's shed, luckily he's a good bloke and I can trust him. I ride out on the old bike, change over up the road at his place, ride the new beauty, then ride back and reverse the procedure. After a few days I get tired of this rigmarole and just ride the newy up our driveway, park it in the spare (bike) room and hope nothing is noticed. This ploy has worked so far, both new bikes have been black Cannondales so they don't look very different at a glance. I confess to the extravagance at a more opportune time later ie. ply her with food and alcohol first, then own up.
Minor purchase I just remove the packaging, sneak into the house, leave in the bike room with all the other junk and once again hope it's not noticed. It usually works, besides, it's my money, I can waste it any way I like.

[queequeg]

brilliant! come on there must be heaps of lies being told, bring 'em on

Just be on the lookout for the tricks. When I was looking at what new commuter bike to buy to replace my Hybrid, I had set an initial budget of around $2500. Wife was ok with that, but then when I went looking at bikes I came across Ti frames that were well out of the budgeted range. My wfie shocked me by actually telling me to "just buy it because you will be riding it so much", and now I am always wondering what exactly she is "saving up" to spring on me as "revenge" for the new bike!

[Tim]

Just posted a thread about a massive saddle sore in another forum. Maybe its karma.

[jules21]

now I am always wondering what exactly she is "saving up" to spring on me as "revenge" for the new bike!

see that's why you need to conceal them.

I've hidden my last two new bike purchases in the next door neighbour's shed,

that's epic

[MichaelB]

I'm with Bill, in fact, we have similar arrangements.

Anyhoo, it reminds me of a story that gets told often about my BIL's friend.

It so happens that the Missus bought a whole lot of linen for the beds whilst on sale, and saved a considerable sum, and shopped well. The items were needed (sort of). Husband complains bitterly (he's the one in business, so is the bread winner, and the wife is house bound looking after the kids and feeding him, etc), so wife promptly returns all the items and obtains a refund.

She then waits till the sales were over, and buys all the same items at the full price !! I believe the difference was over $400.

He has never complained since !!

[jules21]

michael, this is my theory with bike stuff too. i spend 15+ hours a week on my bike, i can't ride around naked and the bike doesn't maintain itself. i buy stuff when it's on sale - i just bought waterproof gloves and thermal knicks for winter - which saves me in the long term. i went nuts over XMas with bike purchases - the sales were crazy.

[lucky7]

Deliveries sent to work (bike stuff, running stuff and clothes) - when the time is right, I bring bits and pieces home 1 or 2 at a time and just blend them in with all the other crap I seem to have piled up around the place.

[queequeg]

michael, this is my theory with bike stuff too. i spend 15+ hours a week on my bike, i can't ride around naked and the bike doesn't maintain itself. i buy stuff when it's on sale - i just bought waterproof gloves and thermal knicks for winter - which saves me in the long term. i went nuts over XMas with bike purchases - the sales were crazy.

I usually do the same. I actually bought two of the Limar 104 Helmets when I saw them on special for $70 each. I used one for the road bike, and kept the other one in storage. My 3 year old commuter helment was looking pretty worn from being out in the sun for 2 hours a day, so I binned it and got out the other 104 Helmet.

[briztoon]

... and now I am always wondering what exactly she is "saving up" to spring on me as "revenge" for the new bike!

er, new hubby maybe. Not sure how she plans to sneak him in. Maybe through the back door.

[Xplora]

Cash and garage is the only way. If it is more than 3 figures (excluding cents) then you should be talking to the wife about it. Seriously. They aren't stupid and your bike is not worth the distrust created by the purchase. Don't learn the hard way.

[Marty Moose]

I save for major purchases and tell her what im saving for and the time frame. No suprises and be honest I find works well. Lying to your wife is a no no just like I expect her not to lie to me.

Sent from my MB526 using Tapatalk

[ruscook]

I cant be bothered with deception, I just go with the truth. I save my space cash for what ever I want, as long as the bills are paid we spend our spare cash as we see fit. She buys trashy tv mags 20 sets of baby clothes all the same and clothes for herself, I buy what ever I need or want at the time. We might be a bit different with our finances, we have our own separate savings accounts but there is never any arguments or questions if its our own cash!

Bill

+1 Spot on. We've been married for 25 years and have always had mine, hers and ours savings accounts as well as a central bill account. Based on our different earnings different amounts go into each. What is left in our own accounts, we spend as we see fit. Works for us, removes the need for lying, cunning kits etc.

[jules21]

don't take this the wrong way, i admire your integrity, but it's fun having a bit of drama with the missus and seeing what you can sneak through. you've gotta live dangerously a bit, you can't let them whip you too much

[Parker]

I cant be bothered with deception, I just go with the truth. I save my space cash for what ever I want, as long as the bills are paid we spend our spare cash as we see fit. She buys trashy tv mags 20 sets of baby clothes all the same and clothes for herself, I buy what ever I need or want at the time. We might be a bit different with our finances, we have our own separate savings accounts but there is never any arguments or questions if its our own cash!

Bill

+1 Spot on. We've been married for 25 years and have always had mine, hers and ours savings accounts as well as a central bill account. Based on our different earnings different amounts go into each. What is left in our own accounts, we spend as we see fit. Works for us, removes the need for lying, cunning kits etc.

That's great to hear! As a female (me), who has her OWN financial goals its good to see relationships can work well when each other has their OWN money.