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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If you won 10k

113 replies

Moonface29 · 05/03/2026 19:04

Together 10 years, living together (unmarried but engaged), with 2 children.
One of you wins 10k - would you view it as joint money or not?
YABU - joint, and you would plan how to spend it together
YANBU - It’s the individual’s money, to spend how they please

OP posts:
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DrLevy · 06/03/2026 13:39

DH would view it as mine if I won it and ours if he won it. He has previous for this. I do bring as much to the pit as he does and in instances of a bit of a windfall have always put it into the house somehow: he is very much ‘it’s your money, do whatever’

Anononony · 06/03/2026 13:18

It would be joint but I'd have majority say on what the money went on.

We'd invest at least half in our business, pay of debts and treat ourselves and kids to something each of us want but can't afford (new x box for OH, camera for me, VR for eldest, probably a nice bike for youngest

JustSittinHereChillin · 06/03/2026 13:06

I responded only to the original message - I've just had chance to read some of the updates...

My approach would remain the same (that the winnings would belong to wherever the money came from e.g. personal account, personal winnings or joint account, joint winnings) however, in the instance of personal winnings, I cannot imagine for one moment that either my husband or I would go and splurge it on ourselves, without any thought about our joint financial situation and our family. I would be hurt beyond words if my husband's choice was to holiday with friends rather than me and my little boy. I'd be out of there if that was his preference!

Probablyshouldntsay · 06/03/2026 11:43

Well, you know where you and your dc stand now don’t you?

LadyDanburysHat · 06/03/2026 11:42

If the father of my children won £10k and his first thought was not how to treat family but to spend it on himself, I would find it very difficult to continue the relationship.

DH won a car once, worth about the same amount. We sold it and put a deposit on a house.

ChristmasFluff · 06/03/2026 11:39

Given your updates, how other people would deal with the money is irrelevant.

He's made it really plain he doesn't love you, and you are the 'wife appliance' without actually being his wife.

Surely you are worth more than this?

Hmmmmwineandchocs · 06/03/2026 11:28

Moonface29 · 05/03/2026 20:41

Thank you for your views everyone.
I am just feeling so sidelined. I thought it would be our chance to get married (been engaged 3 years), but no. He booked a holiday with his friends without telling me.
We had also planned a once in a lifetime trip in August (won’t say what, as would be outing). Booked annual leave, told our eldest we were going…only for him to then say we can’t afford it (after winning the money).
Apparently this is all justifiable in his eyes (and his parents, it transpires).
We pay the same percentage of our salaries into the house/bills (though he earns more).

Then he’s an absolute twat.
To cancel your holiday after telling your child about it is really horrible. How can he do that??
Sorry OP.

LadyVioletBridgerton · 06/03/2026 10:48

Joint money.

ay30916 · 06/03/2026 09:40

Joint. We would probably pay off the credit card which would leave £7k. We would probably have a bit of treat money for us & the kids (maybe £2k) & put abut £5k away towards hols for next year.

SJM1988 · 06/03/2026 08:34

In our house it would have half joint and half personal like we do when either of us gets a bonus. Some of it would go on family expenses (a holiday or paying of the joint credit card or house DIY) and some of it would be kept by the winner for personal things (personal credit cards or something the person has wanted for a while).
This year I got a bonus (first time in forever). I've put some aside to pay for a Christmas activity for the kids we have wanted to do for the last few year but cant afford usually and I put some into getting a massage, haircut, new dress etc. DH does the same with his bonus every year. Usually a house related item / DIY then something he wants.

I think its a big red flag if he spends the whole lot on just himself no thought for even his kids.

Moonface29 · 06/03/2026 08:28

HoskinsChoice · 06/03/2026 07:58

🤣 Correct! (According to mumsnet laws).

Have you read the replies?

OP posts:
MrsHaroldWilson · 06/03/2026 08:21

I think I'd suggest taking £1000 each to spend how we liked and putting the rest into savings, whoever actually won it.

DaffodilValley · 06/03/2026 08:21

I’d like to think that if that happened to us, half would go into the mortgage (our maximum overpayment for the year is 5k) and the other half be spent on paying off credit card debit.
That way it mainly would benefit my partner who is much worse at managing money than I am and so has debts, but would benefit us both due to the reduction in interest we both end up paying.

cherrymauve · 06/03/2026 08:16

Joint money and we’d go on a SilverSea cruise.

coolcahuna · 06/03/2026 08:13

Interesting. I wouldn't necessarily expect it to be joint but would hope some of it would pay for a joint holiday or similar joint plan.

Geneticsbunny · 06/03/2026 08:13

I think if you aren't married then it would be individual rather than shared money. The fact he doesn't want to share fits with this total lack of commitment not just to you but also to your children. I would give him a get married or I am leaving ultimatum.

Memoriesbeingmade · 06/03/2026 08:11

This actually happened to me a few years ago. I am married with children. I decided to split it equally four ways, with the teenage children's portions put in their accounts that they cannot access until the age of 18. Both my husband and I treated ourselves to things we wanted and also paid off our small credit card balances off.

livingthenotebook · 06/03/2026 08:10

together nearly 15 years, not married, split bills 50/50, if I won £10k I would keep it, but then I would probably spend it on home improvements and a holiday for us anyway.

He did win some money once, only £1k, he used it towards the double glazing

Fupoffyagrasshole · 06/03/2026 08:09

Hmmmm interesting

I won 5 k last year and I was up for doing something as a family - but we have really little kids and we do loads of family hols already - my friend was going to New York for a week and my husband told me to just go do that with her for myself - was amazing

but we had nothing needing doing in the house and we’d only been on a big family holiday a few months before so the money and the bathroom had been done a few months before so we weren’t stuck for cash at the time

otherwise I likely wouldn’t have went

FindingMeno · 06/03/2026 08:06

If I got my mitts on 10k I wouldn't even tell anyone.
I'd put it in an emergency fund.

Moonnstarz · 06/03/2026 08:04

Moonface29 · 06/03/2026 08:03

We both have savings that would have paid for it.
He isn’t paying for his friends (that I am aware of). It was more that he booked that (behind my back) and then said we couldn’t afford ours. I think he should have prioritised ours first.

So have you spoken to him about why he cannot afford the family holiday? If he was going to use savings for the family holiday and then seeing the win as a bonus and going on a lads holiday then I would see that as acceptable.

Moonface29 · 06/03/2026 08:03

Moonnstarz · 06/03/2026 07:40

Ignoring his win, how did you plan to finance the once in a lifetime trip? Considering you booked leave and told your child you were going and you didn't know your partner was going to win 10k presumably you had a plan to pay for this trip. Surely when you agreed to do it you must have suggested how you were going to pay for it? So I can see this is a different issue completely as it was irrelevant to the win.

I do think the fact that he wants to go on a lads holiday says it all though and that along with not wanting to get married suggests he isn't that into you and wanting a relationship.

We both have savings that would have paid for it.
He isn’t paying for his friends (that I am aware of). It was more that he booked that (behind my back) and then said we couldn’t afford ours. I think he should have prioritised ours first.

OP posts:
MyBadday · 06/03/2026 07:59

Londonrach1 · 06/03/2026 07:57

Read your update. You need to get your finances in order and leave. He priorited his friends over you. He not going to marry you

This! The 10k is a red herring. His selfish attitude speaks to a bigger problem.

HoskinsChoice · 06/03/2026 07:58

NotMajorTom · 05/03/2026 19:06

If you’re a man it’s joint money. If you’re a woman it’s yours

🤣 Correct! (According to mumsnet laws).

Londonrach1 · 06/03/2026 07:57

Read your update. You need to get your finances in order and leave. He priorited his friends over you. He not going to marry you