What surprised you about your richer or poorer spouse's way of life?

Making financial decisions based around the three paycheck month.

If you're paid every two weeks, most months you get two paychecks.

All of your monthly bills and budgeting is based on those two paychecks.

But twice a year, there are three pay days a month, and that's when you can actually solve problems.

That's when you can get the car registered or fix the dryer or get the cats paid. The other ten months you're doing

maintenance and trying to scrape by. Three paycheck months, you can actually try to fix problems.

I was the poor one. My husband, at the time still boyfriend, took me out to a very nice restaurant.

The waiter asked if I wanted

pepper on my Caesar salad that was just made table side. I said sure, and he goes about it. The thing is,

I didn't know you had to say stop. My husband slowly realizes this, but decides to see it play out.

He did eventually say that I needed to say stop. I just thought a Caesar was head this way, as it was the first

time of mine even eating a salad that wasn't just iceberg and ranch dressing. It still tasted

fine, just a little bit too much pepper. I was adopted at age seven. I lived in extreme poverty,

and then all of a sudden I lived with a doctor who bought gifts for birthdays and Christmas.

I didn't even know that was a thing. I didn't know you could go to the store to get food. I just thought you went to the church and had to pray before they gave you a bag of food. When the family had people over for dinner, if they ended the prayer before the meal with F-H-B-A-M-MEN, it was a signal to let the children know that they don't have enough food for everyone,

so take smaller servings and let the guests get a regular serving. FHB equals family, hold back.

They were always generous to their friends and didn't let their lack of funds embarrass themselves

when doing so. I was just thinking the same thing. My family was considered antisocial.

It wasn't because we didn't like socializing or going to events, it's because we couldn't even afford to.

And if Mom and Dad organized dinners, they planned months beforehand and scraped every cent together to pay for it.

My ex was stunned when I told her I've only ever had one birthday party.

...