How to Hide Money From Your Spouse And Build A Secret Nest Egg

Many wives are stay at home moms, and are at the mercy of their husbands for money. Or, vice versa, maybe the husband is staying home raising the kiddies. Regardless, "He who has the gold rules". For spouses who watch the bank and credit cards like a hawk, it's difficult to stash a little mad money away for yourself if you don't have a steady paycheck coming in. Here are some tips on building your own secret cash stash.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A safety deposit box
• A bank account in a friend's name or family member's name
• The checkbook

1. My mom always said "a girl has to have get away money". She was only half serious, but my husband knows that I have an account with money in it for my own discretionary purposes. If your husband is OK with this, you don't have to keep it so secret. Be careful though, only you know how secretive you need or want to be.
2. Maybe your reasons for stashing money aren't completely devious. It's very sweet to save up some money to take your spouse on a surprise vacation, or to buy them something they really want. Maybe you just want a holiday fund so you can supplement give giving resources. Whatever your reasons are, here is how to build up some cash reserves.
3. First of all, you have to decide where to keep your money stash. It's probably ok to keep up to a hundred dollars somewhere in your house, like in an underwear drawer or a sugar bowl. But anything over that amount should be kept in a bank safety deposit box or in a bank account.
4. There are many ways to get some extra cash on the sly. You can sell things around the house, have garage sales, take your things to resale shops, and sell your stuff on Ebay. For resale shops, you can stop in and pick up cash and there is no paper trail so nobody will ever be the wiser.
5. If you're selling on Ebay, you can set up a PayPal account. Paypal is a great place to let you money sit and collect a little interest, or you can transfer the money into a secret bank account for yourself.
6. Many stores will let you get some cash back when charging, you can get $20 or $40 on a regular basis and nobody will know. Check your statement to make sure the "cash back" isn't noted anywhere to give you away.
7. Many stores will also let you write a check for a little more than the purchase amount and you can get cash back this way. This way for sure won't let anyone on to your scheme.
8. You can also sell your friend's and family members unwanted items for them on Ebay for a cut of the profit, and you can squirrel away these funds as well.
9. Make sure to sign up for any class action lawsuits you are notified of being qualified for, and send in for rebates. This money can add up over time and again, no paper trail.
10. If you are being secretive about your stash for your own benefit, you need to plan ahead for if you ever get caught. You can tell your husband that you were saving up to buy him the watch/boat/barbeque/motorcycle/beer keg that he wanted and it was going to be a surprise, which very well may be true. But if not, have a cover story ready.
11. There are some situations where wives are in danger and they need to save cash so they can plan their escape. But for most people, the main purpose of having some money is for when you want a dress/purse/pair of shoes/jewelry/Botox and it is so expensive that your husband would freak, so you need to offset the price he sees on the credit card statement or in the checkbook with some cash. (Almost all of the women I know are skilled experts in price offsetting strategies). Or maybe you want to take yourself and spouse on a romantic weekend trip once you have enough saved. If you're creative and a little bit sly, it's easy to find opportunities to score a little extra cash. Cash is king so don't spend it once you get it, keep an envelope in your purse and seal it with the money inside. Then all you have to do to squirrel it away in a safe bank deposit box or account and wait for a rainy day. Don't deplete all of your money though when it rains, remember, a girl always needs to have her own get away money!
12. If you are knowledgeable about certain topics, take a look at my article on teaching teleclasses as an additional way to bring in some money, in addition to Ehow! :) http://www.ehow.com/how_2299191_money-teaching-teleclass.html

Tips & Warnings

• Not everyone has selfish intentions, some people need to have some money because their life depends on it, and some have philanthropic intentions and they wish to surprise their spouse with something luxurious. Whatever your reasons are for needing a little mad money, most people can justify that motivation. Just think through your actions, motivations and any consequences.
• The ideal situation is that you can tell your spouse about your mad money and they will understand how frustrating it is to not be paid for all the work you do for the family. It is good for the self esteem to have some control over a little bit of money you earned from recycling things around the house.
• If you are going to make interest on your money in the bank, there will be some tax statements involved. If your spouse doesn't know about the account, either give your money to your friend to pay the taxes (if her name is on your account too) or let your accountant know and give them a copy of the tax statement.
• Don't keep a lot of cash somewhere in your house, in case of a natural disaster or if something happens to you. Let someone you trust know where the money is in case you need them to get it for you.