How do I stop my DH spending ££££on a bloody bike??

cobbingstones

Hi all,

We have moved to Sweden for six months to live rent free in a one bed flat (Dh work pays for bills and rent) which is fantastic. We have two little children who desparately miss their nannies, and I miss my family and friends so much. We have given up alot to be here, but we hoped that this will prevent us from losing our home in Blighty because we were getting more and more into debt. We now have the money at last to pay off half of the debt (approx £20k) If we are very careful. However, Mr. MM now is talking non stop about buying this bike from the US to get himself fit. The bike costs £1400:eek: and then you pay 20% on top for custom taxes. He's now decided that to be moneysaving he'll fly to the US and collect the bike and therefore not pay the custom taxes. He is going on and on and on about how much he needs to get fit etc etc. There is a pool down the road (which again work pays for) and a gym at this work place (free) but no he needs the bloody bike.

Please can you give me some advice to make him see sense. I don't mind if he wants a new bike but to spend so much money? He says i'm nagging, I say he's being unreasonable.

Sorry if this isn't making much sense, have a unhappy little one on my lap.

MM

biglad

I cycle a lot myself and if he wants a bike to get fit then no way does he need to spend that much. Im looking to do a new build with all top parts and its costing me around £500

Also having been to scandanavia a lot, some of their bikes are just terrible but the people use them all the time.

also really not a good idea ordering an expensive bike like that without using it, it might not be suitable

unless he is doing downhills or jumps then he could get a bike for £500 from sweden if he really wants a decent one

is his birthday coming up, just get him one then he cant refuse it lol

cobbingstones

Thanks

Could you giv eme a link to the 'newbuild' info.

Cheers

MM

ps he's a tall one at 6'6 I assume they have large frames?

kj*daisy

TBH if you are at the stage of possibly losing your home in the UK cos of your debts and you have made this move away from your freinds and family to try and save your home and pay off debts, and your DH still thinks his proposal is in any way reasonable I think you are still in big trouble. I think it would be fair to say he hasn't had his lbm. No practical advice I'm afraid but hope you can get him to see sense somehow. Violence maybe!!!:)

woohoo_postingid

Why not suggest a compromise.
He can buy a bike for, say £500 and when the debts are cleared and he can prove he has been using the bike a lot, he can get the one he really wants.

hypno06

Although it only cost about a third of the one you are talking about, we have a fab bike in our garage that OH just "had" to have a couple of years ago. I should think it has actually cost us more per mile used than the car has, due to the lack of use.

Sad - a beautiful bike that was supposed to cut back on petrol costs, but he won't let me get it on ebay!

I am not much help to you I'm afraid. He is doing one of those frustrating "bloke" things. I hope you are able to reach a compromise soon x

Cazzdevil

£500 will get him a superb bike, one which will stand up to some pretty tough off-road use. Depending on what method of cycling he's intending on doing (proper off-road cross country/downhill/pootling along Sustrans-type paths...) then even a £500 bike may be overkill.

I ride offroad cross country 3 times a week and visit all the mountain bike trail centres in the country and my £500 bike stands up to the job NO bother! Of course the bike I actually want costs £3k :eek:

moanymoany

Madsmum, is your debt mainly down to your husband's spending?

Seaxwyn

Hi madsmum,

I sympathise, my OH is always angling to spend money on computer kit.

Have you put all your debts into the snowball calculator at https://www.whatsthecost.com? You can play around with different scenarios and see when your 'debt-free date' will be and how much interest you will spend getting there. Have a play around and this will show you how much the bike will really cost in terms of how much longer it will take to pay off your debts and how much more interest you will pay in the process.

Have you investigated second-hand bikes in Sweden? I should think there are some brilliant ones on offer as it is a wealthy country.

I'm a keen cyclist and my bike cost me a total of £70. I got it free from someone who was throwing it out and spent £70 doing it up. My OH has also done up a 20-year-old bike. I think that is a better way of getting a bike for someone with big debts.

lynzpower

oh hun, Im realy sorry things sound so over in Sweden.

whats the impact of him spending this money? Would the mortage bounce?

If so just say, right fine go right ahead, we'll have the house repo'd etc, but as long as you have the bike thats all that matters.

It is utterly ridiculous to spend that sort of money on a bike, to consider flying to the other side of the world its just lunacy.

I cant believe hes putting a wanty-little- whim befroe the needs of his family.

cobbingstones

no we're both responisible for that. Bought a house that was (and still is out of our means).

moanymoany wrote: »

Madsmum, is your debt mainly down to your husband's spending?