I will preface this by saying that me and the W have not really discussed finances yet. (child support etc) I just try to give her what I can each week.
In the past we ran up some pretty serious credit card debt. We were both to blame for it. We both have multiple cards in our names. One of the things that I have tried to do over the last couple years was to pay them down and try to eliminate the debt. Unfortunately, she didn't really follow in my footsteps and continued to use them. Not extravagantly, but enough to get under my skin.
Since she dropped the bomb, I have been giving her the bills that are in her name. Granted we both are liable for them, but I also have a few in my name that we are both liable for.(almost equal balances for each of us) I have continued to pay mine, PLUS our car insurance, PLUS some other outstanding household debts that we are both liable for, PLUS the mortgage(s).
I know she has NO money and no real job (like I have said in previous posts, she has her own business, but it is struggling right now), so should I feel guilty about giving these bills to her knowing she has no way of paying them?
Right now, if I were to pay them, I would be upside down since the amount due would put me in the RED each month. It was very tight before she left since her business really didn't contribute to the household at all. But she also poorly managed one of her cards prior to the bomb (another thing that got under my skin), which increased the interest rate about 4 TIMES, raising the min. each month from about $80 to almost $300!
I'm just not sure if I should be doing this or not. Does anyone have any guidance about this. Thanks in advance.
pitin
Me 44/W 32 S1 M8 Bomb 9/25/09 Separate houses (about 1 hour apart)
