Recent sociological surveys revealed astonishing figures. In one of them, 64% of respondents expressed their support for spouses combining their incomes into a joint fund and coordinating their expenses. In another survey, 56% admitted to hiding their income and setting aside money in a secret stash unknown to their partners. Is it normal to have secret stashes? Or is financial transparency the key to a happy married life?
In Favor
Larisa Guzeeva, television presenter, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, mother of two children
There is an expression: NHCC – normal human comfort. To me, this includes having a stash of money.
I need to ensure that I have a certain amount set aside to send my kids on vacation or to buy cufflinks for my husband. I can’t ask him for money to buy his own gift, can I? So, I prefer to set aside money rather than buy unnecessary things for myself.
In essence, I am pragmatic and not floating in the clouds. What romance, what glamor?! I’ve experienced very difficult times. In the literal sense of the word. In the 1990s, I bought a piece of meat through connections, cut it into pieces the size of matchboxes, cooked dinner for my son, Georgy, and then ate the leftovers, if there was anything left. Many people lived like that back then. My dad also didn’t have a job – then no one had a normal, stable job.
That era has long passed, but I have a good memory. Since then, I understand clearly: some amount must be set aside. It’s not about hiding money from my husband to buy clothes for myself. No, the stash is for women’s peace of mind: knowing that you and your kids will be fed tomorrow. So, I see nothing wrong with not putting everything in a “common pot” and instead tucking it away for a rainy day. It’s not a matter of mistrust toward your other half – it’s a matter of survival.
Against
Alexander Safonov, Finance University professor, father of 5 children
Hiding income is pointless. It creates distrust in a couple, spoils relationships, and raises questions: “What is this hidden for?” and “Who will it be spent on?”
We are a large family, and at some point, we agreed that the budget would be managed by my wife. She is aware of all the funds that come in and shares the responsibility for optimal money management. So, for the past 10 years, we’ve been living like this and have not hidden any income, even if we want to set aside a certain amount for gifts for each other. We prefer to buy what the partner wants. You can invite a person to the store and choose something together, which also brings us closer and provides joint pleasure. There is also a legal aspect. Spouses have joint responsibility for finances and property in marriage. Any transactions – selling or buying property, taking out a loan, or opening an electronic “piggy bank” in a bank – must be known to both. It’s important to know. Sometimes one of the spouses dies, and the other inherits without knowing about the debts. The same applies to deposits: if you don’t know for sure which bank your spouse has savings in, you may lose them. And with an even greater probability, you will never find the hidden stash.
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By the Numbers
Russians’ Incomes and Their Stashes
- 64.4% have a monthly income of no more than 45,000 rubles
- 48% are able to save up to 5,000 rubles per month, 22% – more than 10,000 rubles
- 78% want to save money in 2024, 48% were able to do so in 2023.
Source: Rosstat (January – July 2023), “Avito,” Rabota.ru
Can You Find Out Your Spouse’s Income?
Suppose you want to know your spouse’s actual income. Can you make a request to the organization where they work?
– No, this information is considered a trade secret of the company and the employee’s personal data. An employee of the accounting department who discloses such information to third parties can be disciplined by the employer. And the husband or wife, whose data has been made public, has the right to appeal to the Federal Labor Service or the prosecutor’s office, says lawyer Olga Samarina. – However, if the relationship has reached the point of divorce and disputes over alimony, division of joint property, obtaining information about each other’s income is possible. But it will have to be done through the court. The first step in this case is to file a petition to obtain salary information.
In a Leo Tolstoy novel or in a “vault”?
– People still hide secret savings in books and behind baseboards. But these hiding places have a significant downside – the savings do not generate income, let alone the fact that they depreciate due to inflation, says economist Pavel Samiyev. – Even if we’re talking about a foreign currency, not everything is smooth. There are no guarantees that by the time you need to use your reserve, the exchange rate will be favorable (not to mention the fact that banknotes may go out of circulation while they are in the stash).
The most logical option is a bank deposit. If you choose a 6 to 12-month term, it is also profitable. You can only find out that your spouse has opened such a “savings” by accident – for example, if you receive an SMS notification. But you can opt-out of these messages.
As for the widely advertised “crypto,” it is largely inaccessible to the vast majority of Russians primarily because cryptocurrency transactions are prohibited in Russia.
Jokes
Plumber Sidorov’s stash got into the Guinness World Records – he hid it from his wife.
* * *
– Darling, I accidentally found your secret stash!
– So you mean to say you accidentally climbed into the ventilation for 10 meters?!