Best of Dear Abby: I’m losing sleep over money and my husband clutches onto collectibles

DEAR ABBY: I have been married 33 years. We have no savings. We live paycheck to paycheck. My husband keeps borrowing more and more, and our credit cards are out of hand. He still works. I am retired. He has a 28-foot enclosed trailer stuffed with mechanical items, hobbies, collectibles and who knows what else, as well as a double garage filled with so much you can’t walk in. There is $10,000 to $15,000 worth of stuff. He refuses to sell anything even though he hasn’t even been to the trailer in more than a year. We have terrible fights over this. I’m losing sleep over our future. Any ideas? — GOING DOWNHILL IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR GOING DOWNHILL: From what you have described, your husband is a hoarder. Some people do this because of anxiety or depression. Your husband needs to get to the root of why he spends compulsively on things he isn’t using. His doctor could refer him for counseling and possibly medication that would help if he is willing. However, if he’s unwilling, you may need to separate your finances from his before he encumbers you both further.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.