How do I get my girlfriend to take a stronger interest in saving for retirement?
456785
she might not be the right person for you to marry if these things are going to bother you. she obviously has a different attitude about money then you do. if you truely love her then you wont let things like this worry you so much. all i can say is that you think hard about why you love her and want to marry her.
1138691
My and my fi have ours like this\nJoint Checking- bills\nJoint Saving- for our wedding and house repairs.\nHe has another checking\nand I have another saving account.\nBoth of us put 75-85% of what we make in the joint account.\n\nI don't think it really matters if it's a checking or saving but you should have a little money put aside for you.  \nI had friends who just went to see a $ planner and he told them the same thing.  It helps you save and spend wisely plus gives you a little Independence.
192042
talk to her, then hand her an invoice for everything you bought her over the course of your relationship.  she might give you some money.
442756
You should use 4000 to put into a ROTH IRA.  You can put another 4000 in a ROTH IRA for your wife.  If you are taking advantage of the tax deduction of mortgage interest, your interest rate is effectively 4%, so it probably makes more sense to invest rather than pay off your mortgage.\nYou might want to put your 2000 into municipal bonds which will give you tax-free income.
314276
It isn't really about giving her something romantic per say, but about expressing what is in your heart to her.  One of the best things you can do to show you care and you concern for her 'drifting' is write a letter.  Express yourself in this letter and let her know exactly what you feel.  \n\nHighlight some of the great areas in your relationship from the beginning until now and tell her how your love for her has continued to grow over time.  \n\nAnother thing you can do is a few weeks before your anniversay, tell her that you want to treat her to a special day because it means a lot to you.  Let HER plan the events for the day.  Or, ask her for some ideas of the things she'd like to do that day and then plan the day based on what she tells  you.\n\nOne hot thing to do is go back to a restaurant or place that was in the beginning of your relationship when it was just getting started. \n\nAnd, then your typical stuff: roses, jewelry, etc.\n\nHope your anniversary is the best!
720039
Take a honeymoon.  My husband and I have not had one yet.  Or even a vacation in the last 9 years (since we have been together).  There is a state park in Arkansas where you can dig for precious gems, and my husband would just love to do something like that.  Admission to the park is $6.  It is almost a thousand miles from where we live, and with gas prices these days.....\n\nThe rest of it would go into our IRA.
893061
It's a little late for this year, but a strategy I've found to be effective is by doing my shopping a little at a time, beginning, if you must, in January.\n \nHowever, this solution still doesn't deal with the underlying problem.  It sounds as if you and your husband have very different attitudes toward money--a situation that's not all that uncommon.  I know this from firsthand experience because it exists in my own home (though it's not nearly to the extreme you describe)--my situation for years was one of having to watch every penny and make choices between a cup of coffee and putting gas in my old jalopy, while my other half was used to thinking that money was something that, if he ran out, he could always get from his father.  Over the years he's learned to rein in his spending, but he never will be the penny pincher that I am (by the same token, I've become a little less prone to making a dime do the work of a dollar).  \n\nYou refer to your spouse as the "major breadwinner"--does he have the attitude of "it's MY money, I work for it, and I should get to spend it as I like?"  If so, I think that, as a couple, you would benefit from talking with a neutral third party--a clergyperson or a counselor--who can help you.  \n\nNow, for this year, a lot depends on the ages of your children.  If they're still fairly small, dollar stores will provide some gifts that will brighten the holiday for them.  You might also use this as an opportunity to teach your children about giving by donating some of their outgrown clothing and toys to a charity or a drive for such things in your area.  Stimulate their creativity, too, by making decorations with them.\n\nHope this gives some ideas, but until you and your other half deal with the problem of his spening habits, it's just going to be the same old thing year after year.
86078
give it to her as hard as u can and dont force it too hard but give her all youve got on the same token.perhaps u can.....well try to e mail me and ill give u more info.poohnbabyblue@yahoo.com
750046
There are alot of "heartfelt" gift u can give that don't cost alot of money, and women like gift that thought was put into. One gift that is very inexpensive is a scapbook of the life the two of u have shared. Gather pictures of u and her since the beginning of your relationship and put them in a nice scrapbook and write little sayings beside each one on how u feel about her and your relationship, I guarantee she will love it. Keep in mind that with women it's not what the gift "is" but what the gift "says" that means something to us. Good luck :-)
115355
Make her feel special. Personally, I'm not one that wants money or material things - just do little things to make her know that you are thinking about her when  she least expects it. Good luck.
738966
My mother is 46 and she has about $3000 in savings and no investments or retirement. So I'm pretty sure you're doing better than she is (and, sadly, she's about average for where we live)
626260
I so agree with "John S"... QUIT! there's no way you and wife can build a marriage when you're working 12+ hours a day, likely 7 days a week.  If that's what it takes to make this business work, sell it, give it away, quit!  Change your lifestyle and your priorities. Wealth is NOT measured not how much we make but, rather, by how little we need to spend!  Regretably, it sounds like your wife wants the shallow pleasures that money can provide, rather than the deeper satisfaction of a life a abundance -- abundant time, love, friendship, enjoyment.
982576
get a savings account with someone else (like a parent or spouse, depending on your age) and put some money in it every time you get paid. make sure that it is a savings account that requires both peoples signature to withdrawl money. this is what I did when I wanted to save money and it worked great!
1125529
Some employers will match a portion of your 401K savings.  Y ou can't do that with an IRA
658096
let your wife be the one to put her foot down about the money...sorry, but they won't listen to you bec you're not their dad.\n\nmom must remain firm...don't listen to the whining. Hopefully you 2 have decided  that they leave the nest when they graduate. You have the right to expect some privacy in your marriage, esp. since he's old enough to be on his own...and she almost is. Sister will hopefully go on to college...sounds like a smart girl with a future.\n\nsupport your wife and stand by her. help her remain firm. she's given them 18 long yrs...long enough.
131646
Good answer above.  The only ways to actually maintain your take home and increase your deferral are:\n\n1.  Up your contribution rate when you get a raise!\n\n2.  If your income is just over a tax bracket line, contribute until your gross federal tax level lowers enough to get you into a lower tax bracket.  This almost never works out correctly, but it is possible.\n\nGood luck!
388290
Sometimes no matter how much we want to save something we just can't.  The only thing that I can tell you is that you need to sit down with him and let him know how you are feeling as him. Sometimes we just get into the routine in life and we forget about what is important to us.  All I am going to say is COMMUICATION is the best thing in a relationship if you don't have that you don't have *hit!