Does your spouse understand your credit card hobby?

by nikhil.rao · 19 Jan 2026, 07:33 pm · 536 views · 20 replies

19 Jan 2026, 07:33 pm

Genuine question for the married/committed folks in this community: How do your spouses/partners react to the credit card optimization obsession?

My wife has progressed through these stages over our 6 years together:

Year 1 (2019): "Why do you have 3 credit cards? One is enough."

Year 2 (2020): "Okay the airport lounge access is nice I guess."

Year 3 (2021): "Wait you saved ₹15,000 this year from cashback? Show me the spreadsheet."

Year 4 (2022): "Which card should I use for this grocery order?" (THEY'RE LEARNING!)

Year 5 (2023): "Can you get Infinia? I heard it has good rewards." (FULL CONVERSION)

Year 6 (2024): She now has 5 cards of her own, tracks spend categories in our shared Excel sheet, and yesterday asked me if we should apply for Atlas for flight bookings. I created a monster.

But I know this is NOT the universal experience. My colleague's wife made him close 4 cards because "having too many credit cards means you're in debt" (he tried explaining it, gave up).

Another friend has to hide his new card deliveries like men in the 1950s hid Playboy magazines. His wife allows maximum 2 cards. He has 7 (she doesn't know).

So I'm curious:

Does your partner understand the hobby?
Do they participate or just tolerate?
Have you successfully converted them?
Any funny/frustrating stories?

My conversion strategy that worked:

Showed annual savings report (₹45k saved in 2023)
Emphasized "free" lounge access = ₹6k saved
Demonstrated no annual fee cards (remove "debt" association)
Let HER pick restaurants, I just optimized card selection
Shared cards on her name (she gets the benefits, less skepticism)

What's your situation?

19 Comments

rajesh.nambiar · 19 Jan 2026, 10:07 pm

My husband just rolls his eyes now when packages arrive. 'Another metal card Priya?' YES ANOTHER ONE. It's TITANIUM this time! (He doesn't care)

ananya.reddy · 20 Jan 2026, 10:48 am

I got my wife into it and now she's WORSE than me. She tracks her CRED score daily. She applied for Amex Platinum without telling me. I'm so proud

ananya.reddy · 21 Jan 2026, 06:18 pm

We have a compromise system: I can get any card I want IF I present a written business case with ROI calculation. Yes I'm married to a consultant. Yes I make PowerPoint decks for card applications now.

ishita.sen · 25 Jan 2026, 04:42 am

We keep separate finances mostly but she appreciates when I optimize shared expenses (groceries, utilities, dining). Win-win: I get my hobby, she gets savings, no conflict.

ananya.reddy · 20 Jan 2026, 06:52 pm

Showed my partner my annual savings report (₹62k) and she IMMEDIATELY stopped complaining. Numbers speak louder than words bro.

amit.verma · 20 Jan 2026, 08:52 pm

The metal card collection explanation is rough. 'Why do you need 8 pieces of metal with your name on it?' HOW DO I EXPLAIN REWARD OPTIMIZATION?

riya.choudhury · 23 Jan 2026, 02:01 am

Converted my spouse by: 1) Free flights using reward points (₹45k ticket for free), 2) Lounge breakfast saved ₹500 × 12 trips, 3) Anniversary dinner cashback. Make it TANGIBLE not abstract.

neha.gupta · 21 Jan 2026, 06:18 am

My girlfriend just wants the lounge access. She doesn't care about cashback/points/rates. But she's VERY happy when I swipe the Priority Pass at the airport. Whatever works!

tanmay.deshpande · 22 Jan 2026, 07:46 am

@PowerPoint guy - That's hilarious and sad simultaneously. But also smart because you're forced to think through value prop before applying.

deepika.menon · 22 Jan 2026, 05:23 pm

My wife's only rule: Don't miss payment due dates. She doesn't care about the hobby as long as CIBIL stays 800+. Fair deal honestly.

sneha.nair · 23 Jan 2026, 03:23 am

Counter-perspective: My husband thinks I'm obsessed and maybe he's right? I've spent 40+ hours researching cards in last 6 months. That's a part-time job. He's not totally wrong to be concerned.

harsh.agarwal · 23 Jan 2026, 10:28 am

The best part of a converted spouse: You can optimize BOTH incomes. Our household has 12 cards across 2 people, covering every category. We're financially optimized as a UNIT.

karthik.sundaram · 23 Jan 2026, 06:12 pm

My partner's exact words: 'I don't understand it and I don't want to understand it. Just tell me which card to use before checkout.' Peak relationship efficiency.

rajesh.nambiar · 24 Jan 2026, 08:39 am

True story: I explained the Magnus + Burgundy strategy to my wife for 30 minutes. Her response: 'So it's like credit card Pokémon - gotta catch 'em all?' ...You know what, yes. Exactly that.

vikram.iyer · 24 Jan 2026, 10:05 pm

The hiding credit cards thing is real. I have a friend who sends cards to his office address. His wife thinks he has 2 cards. Reality is 9. This seems unsustainable but who am I to judge.

amit.verma · 25 Jan 2026, 03:18 am

My conversion moment: Family trip to Goa. I saved ₹18k using: flight rewards points, hotel cashback, restaurant offers, and rental car discount. She SAW the value physically. Now she asks me to plan all trips through 'card strategy'.

deepika.menon · 26 Jan 2026, 11:29 am

My boyfriend's contribution to the hobby: 'That's nice dear' while scrolling Instagram. But he enjoys the lounge food so he participates via consumption if not optimization.

siddharth.patel · 25 Jan 2026, 10:24 am

Funny story: My wife applied for Infinia before me (she had banking relationship). Now she has better card than I do. I'm simultaneously proud and jealous. Mostly proud. 70-30.

varun.malhotra · 26 Jan 2026, 12:29 am

The 'credit cards = debt' association is the HARDEST mindset to break. Older generation especially. I've given up explaining to parents. They think I'm in ₹10L debt (I'm not, I pay full every month).

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