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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to resent my husband's generosity to his daughter but not mine?

893 replies

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:39

Hi all, I hope everyone is well.

For context, my husband and I met when the youngest of our respective children had just turned 18, 6 years ago, and we married 2 years ago.
Upon marriage we opted to retain our own properties, while I moved in with him and the rent I made from my property went towards bills and household costs.
Other wise our individual finances remain separate, we both still work and earn our own money.

He has one daughter who is 25, turning 26, I have 2 children 24 and 27 respectively.

He earns far more than I do, as a result he spoils his daughter who lives abroad, some recent examples include
£2,000 towards she and her boyfriends summer holiday
£11,000 on a vintage watch
£3,000 when her hand bag and phone were lost on a night out

She earns well, and has a property out right from her mothers side so none of these were needs and she never asks, he simply enjoys doing it and wants to.

Meanwhile I cannot afford this for my children, my children have expressed some concern that the rental income I get covers all the bills, they think this is unfair and it should be split. My husbands argument is that since we live in his house we can’t rent it out so I gain by living here.

Equally both of our daughters are getting married in 2027/8. So far he has already agreed to paying for his daughter’s entire wedding include a custom made dress likely in the 15-20k range. I can’t afford to contribute this to my daughter’s wedding and she has no father on the scene to help so they are having to self fund. I asked him if he would at least help me buy her dress (less expensive as she’s not interested in it being custom made) and he has said he doesn’t feel that’s his responsibility.

AIBU to be finding him quite selfish and unhelpful? His daughter is truly lovely and he is very loving but the financial disparity is more obvious than I excepted it to be.

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 05/08/2026 14:41

If your finances are separate then your finances are separate, he can spend his money as he wishes and so can you.

Vaxtable · 05/08/2026 14:43

How are bills split? I assume your kids are not at home?

if he earns far more then I would expect him to pay a larger proportion than you thus leaving you with the ability to save.

VestPantsandSocks · 05/08/2026 14:44

Octavia64 · 05/08/2026 14:41

If your finances are separate then your finances are separate, he can spend his money as he wishes and so can you.

This.

InterestedDad37 · 05/08/2026 14:45

You're unreasonable to ask/expect, he's unreasonable not to offer.

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:46

Vaxtable · 05/08/2026 14:43

How are bills split? I assume your kids are not at home?

if he earns far more then I would expect him to pay a larger proportion than you thus leaving you with the ability to save.

I pay all the bills, he is mortgage free, so the rental income I make from not living in my property covers all bills, our individual salaries are not used for any bills.

OP posts:
UniquePinkSwan · 05/08/2026 14:47

are you paying towards his daughters wedding? You sound more selfish than he does. Your finances are separate. What do you expect? You are being very unreasonable

adragoncalledaudrey · 05/08/2026 14:47

Yep. You can get that agreement in the bin.

If he is mortgage free then you can share bills.

SendforJulietOne · 05/08/2026 14:47

The bills need to be split proportionately, but he is under no obligation to spend money on your adult daughter or your other child. Might be different if he had a hand in raising them but your children were all adults when you met so of course he isn't going to see your kids as his responsibility.

SquirrelRed · 05/08/2026 14:47

Why are you paying all the bills and not splitting them 50/50, or proportionate to your income?

orangehandles · 05/08/2026 14:48

@Alnoo Does he own his property outright?

What proportion of the joint household bills are you paying?

Ah - sorry, scratch that. You updated while I was drinking tea and writing this!

SillySeal · 05/08/2026 14:48

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:46

I pay all the bills, he is mortgage free, so the rental income I make from not living in my property covers all bills, our individual salaries are not used for any bills.

By that token then, you are not gaining from living with him as much as he is gaining by not having any bills at all to pay.

There's not much you can do about the disparity between what he gives his daughter and what you can give yours but I dont think you paying all the household bills from your rental income is fair.

Allseeingallknowing · 05/08/2026 14:48

He should treat your daughter as his own. It’s hurtful to treat them differently

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:49

adragoncalledaudrey · 05/08/2026 14:47

Yep. You can get that agreement in the bin.

If he is mortgage free then you can share bills.

He doesn’t think this is fair as he feels the choice to live in his property means I can rent out mine and benefit from that financially, while he can’t rent out his property as we live here.

OP posts:
Ezra123 · 05/08/2026 14:49

Do you have a mortgage to pay on your own property ?

SquirrelRed · 05/08/2026 14:50

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:49

He doesn’t think this is fair as he feels the choice to live in his property means I can rent out mine and benefit from that financially, while he can’t rent out his property as we live here.

This seems nuts to me. You're not benefitting financially if you're covering all the bills are you, he is though by not having to pay anything anymore

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:50

SillySeal · 05/08/2026 14:48

By that token then, you are not gaining from living with him as much as he is gaining by not having any bills at all to pay.

There's not much you can do about the disparity between what he gives his daughter and what you can give yours but I dont think you paying all the household bills from your rental income is fair.

Well I am gaining, if we weren’t together I would have no rental income and bills, the rental income is higher than the bills are so I’m making more than I would be by paying the bills here and not living in my home, than if I were not paying bills and living alone.

OP posts:
Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:50

Ezra123 · 05/08/2026 14:49

Do you have a mortgage to pay on your own property ?

No I am also mortgage free.

OP posts:
Darragon · 05/08/2026 14:50

I’m on the fence. In general I think YABU especially about the rent money as you retain the capital from the asset. But his comment about your daughter’s wedding was just stingy and tbh it sounds like he doesn’t want to spoil you and yours, which would leave me with a nasty taste in my mouth from someone I’d married tbh.

WearyAuldWumman · 05/08/2026 14:50

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:46

I pay all the bills, he is mortgage free, so the rental income I make from not living in my property covers all bills, our individual salaries are not used for any bills.

I'd say that you should be splitting the bills.

You're really not gaining anything by not living in your own property. In fact, you're losing out because council tax, utility bills will be dearer for two and you're covering it all.

SorrellNightwind · 05/08/2026 14:51

Well you do need to contribute to living there, maybe all the bills is unfair, but you can't live for free.

What you should look at is how much would a similar property to rent in where you live?
halve it and take a bit off.
halve the bills and how close are you to what you are paying now?

BurnTheWholeThingDown · 05/08/2026 14:51

But if he rented out his property you’d both have to pay to live somewhere else? His logic makes no sense. He’s using you.

HoldMyWine · 05/08/2026 14:51

Why are you paying all the bills? They should be 50/50.
Apart from that though its ip
to him how he spends his money.

MoHarris · 05/08/2026 14:52

Allseeingallknowing · 05/08/2026 14:48

He should treat your daughter as his own. It’s hurtful to treat them differently

Totally disagree with this. All the kids were adults 18+ when they met so he hasn’t raised the kids. They have also only been together 6 years so he hasn’t had to play a Dad role to the kids.

Would be nice if he treated them occasionally but should definitely not be treating them equally.

Alnoo · 05/08/2026 14:52

SorrellNightwind · 05/08/2026 14:51

Well you do need to contribute to living there, maybe all the bills is unfair, but you can't live for free.

What you should look at is how much would a similar property to rent in where you live?
halve it and take a bit off.
halve the bills and how close are you to what you are paying now?

A similar property to his?
It would be very very expensive to rent, more so than my own property by a notable margin.

OP posts:
WearyAuldWumman · 05/08/2026 14:52

SillySeal · 05/08/2026 14:48

By that token then, you are not gaining from living with him as much as he is gaining by not having any bills at all to pay.

There's not much you can do about the disparity between what he gives his daughter and what you can give yours but I dont think you paying all the household bills from your rental income is fair.

All of this.

I don't think he can be expected to contribute to your daughter, but he's not paying his way in the household. For that reason alone, I'd be reassessing my circumstances in your place.

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