Is It Really Worth It? Stop Fighting Over Minor Money Matters

by Gary Foreman

When you have a disagreement with your spouse over money, do you ever wonder is it worth it? When it comes to the minor money matters, it isn’t. Stop fighting over the minor money issues so you can focus on the larger ones.

Angry voices fill the room. He thinks that she’s a fanatic. She feels that he’s unwilling to give just a little bit to save some money. The cause of the argument is a light bulb and the cost of not turning off a light.

So who’s right? Is this a battle worth fighting?

Consider How Much You’re Actually Arguing Over

Suppose your electric runs about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). That means a 100-watt light bulb is one-tenth of a kilowatt or 1.1 cent per hour. You could leave that light on 12 1/2 hours and spend a whopping 13 cents.

Does that mean that our frugal friend was wrong? Should we not worry about wasting money? Goodness, no! But perhaps you don’t want to get into a major fight with your spouse just because they leave a lamp on. You might spend more on aspirin than you save on electricity!

A little research will show that most electricity is used to run large motors or generate heat. The motors are compressors in your air conditioner and the refrigerator. You’ll find the heating elements in your stove, dryer, and water heater. So if you want to save money on electricity, you’ll get a much greater return by concentrating your efforts on these appliances. (See How to Calculate Appliance Electricity Usage.)

No One Is Wrong When It Comes to the Small Stuff

Let’s take another example: paper towels. Suppose you buy eight rolls for $12. According to the label, each roll has 64 sheets. So you’re getting 512 sheets for about 2.3 cents each.

My wife used to laugh because some family members would tear a paper towel in half if the job didn’t require a whole one. She said it drove her crazy. I looked at it as matching the tools to the job at hand. (See Will You Throw Away $500 in Disposables This Year?)

So who’s wrong? Just like in many marital spats, no one is wrong. Sure, it’s silly to waste money. No matter how small the amount. On the other hand, you don’t want to give yourself a stroke over something worth a nickel, which leads us to our next question.

Where do you find savings?

Where To Look for Savings That Will Make a Difference

The answer is to look for areas where you spend money but don’t get a lot in return for it.

Interest on credit card debt

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data’s quarterly debt report, consumer credit card debt has reached $17.5 trillion as of Q4 2023.

What are we getting for all that money? Well, we don’t have to wait to make our purchase. We haven’t avoided paying for it. But because we use credit to buy, we often end up paying 40% more for the privilege of taking it home earlier.

So any time that we can delay a purchase, we save big time. It’s really like buying something at wholesale prices. That’s the type of savings that can add up quickly. For instance, you might be tempted to buy a new TV. After all, it’s on sale for 15% off. But if you just put it on your card and pay the minimum each month, you’ll be adding 40% to the cost. You’re paying 25% over retail. Some bargain!

Car payments

Cars are another fine example.

Suppose that you just made your last car payment. The temptation is great to check out the new models. But if you’re willing to hold on to the old one for just one more year, you’ll save between $200 and $300 per month.

Even after repairs, you’ll save a couple thousand dollars in the year that you delay the new car purchase.

Related: How To Never Have Another Car Payment

Discretionary expenses

Also, look to areas where you have discretionary expenses. That means areas where you have some level of control over what you spend.

Food is a wonderful area for savings. The typical family will spend between 10 and 15% of their after-tax income on food. And most families can cut that by 2 or 3%. That’s a lot of nickels!

Cheaper alternatives

Finally, look for less expensive options.

Sometimes you don’t have to buy something to use it. Before you go shopping, ask yourself if you could borrow or rent whatever you need. Maybe a slightly used version would get the job done.

You get the idea. A few minutes of thought could make a big difference in your net worth.

Pick Your Money Battles

Naturally, you want to fight waste wherever you find it. That’s true whether we’re talking about pennies or thousands of dollars. But let’s pay attention to a lesson that tactical strategists have known for centuries. Don’t spend resources in a battle that’s not worth winning.

Naturally, you want to save small amounts of money if it’s effortless to do so. But if you’re going to get into a battle with your spouse, make sure it’s about something important.

You might get them to turn off the lamp by wearing them down. But you’ve probably also convinced them that you’re a fanatic. And that won’t make it any easier when you want to persuade them to drive the old car for another year.

• The Big Difference Compound Interest Can Make to Small Savings
• When Your Spouse Doesn’t Care About Saving Money
• Could You Be Causing Your Spouse To Overspend?
• 9 Ways To Avoid Marital Money Problems
• How Do I Make My Overspending Spouse a Tightwad?

Reviewed February 2024

About the Author

Gary Foreman is the former owner and editor of The Dollar Stretcher. He's the author of How to Conquer Debt No Matter How Much You Have and has been featured in MSN Money, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, The Nightly Business Report, US News Money, Credit.com and CreditCards.com.