ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on households containing a married couple, on patterns of spending within these households, and in particular on their use of credit cards. Research on the intra-household economy has shown that spending patterns depend, not just on the total income of the household, but on the relative incomes of husband and wife and on the control and allocation of money within the household. Patterns of employment within households have been shown to have important implications for the access which individuals have to financial resources. Households where someone was in employment were more likely to use credit cards than households where both partners were retired. Women's use of credit cards reflected their individual employment status, in that those in full time jobs were more likely to use cards than women in part time jobs or those outside the labour market.
