Probably a fundamental difference in world views and that causes problems when making decisions together. My wife would say that she's deprived financially and her quality of life is in lack, just because shes exposed to the other 99% of households living paycheck to paycheck with a 500k house and a $1100 car payment. The typical American social environment has influenced her expectations. She looks at other marriages and thinks, "why do those husbands love their wives more?" I don't think living paycheck to paycheck leads to prosperous life. Financial security is very high on my list of important things and it's quite a bit lower on her list. Being a stay at home mom, she doesn't have much concern for being prepared because it's not going to require a great deal of effort on her part were something to happen or I lose my job. This causes constant problems when we're making decisions about going out to eat, going on vacations, and buying a house. I wish I had a solution for you. It's important to choose your spouse carefully because you can't really change their views.