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AIBU?

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Am I unreasonable for wanting sex while my husband sulks about my salary?

77 replies

pilarrodriguztoubosb · 17/09/2026 11:50

I know this is going to sound ridiculous to some people, but honestly, I'm at the point where I need outside opinions. About a month ago, my husband and I had a massive argument about money.

We both earn very good salaries and, until recently, earned roughly the same. We were comfortable and had always done things 50/50 financially. I got a promotion and my salary went up by almost 50%.

I agreed that my extra income should mostly go towards savings, investments and my pension. I still wanted us to keep contributing 50/50 towards the mortgage, bills, groceries and the children's day to day expenses. We have three teenagers, so that's already a substantial amount.

We have a joint account for household expenses and then separate personal accounts. The agreement has always been that once we've paid our share of the household costs, our personal money is our own. We don't interrogate each other about what we spend it on.After my promotion, I increased my own allowance slightly because I wanted to pay for some wellness treatments, skincare, shopping and a club membership.

My husband then decided that because I'd got a pay rise, he should get more personal spending money too. I basically said, "Why?”That did not go down well.After a massive argument, I actually offered him another £1,000 a month from my increased income. He refused. He basically told me to "have fun with my money" Fine. Except apparently it wasn't fine, because he's been sulking and angry ever since.

We're still living normally. We do things together, we're still a couple, we love each other, there isn't some huge marriage crisis going on. But we've had ZERO sex for a month. And frankly, I'm getting fed up.
I'm in my mid 40s, I work, I'm stressed, I have hormones doing whatever the hell they want, and yes, I want sex. Quite a lot, actually. I'm not saying my husband owes me sex. Obviously he doesn't. If he doesn't want to have sex, he doesn't have sex. I'm not going to force anyone. But I also don't want our bedroom to become the battlefield for a financial argument. If he's angry with me, let's actually talk about it like two grown adults rather than having a month long sexual standoff.

And here's the part that might make me a complete cow...I'm considering adding him to my wellness plans and club membership next month.

He doesn't know.

Partly because I love him and I'd genuinely like him to enjoy them too. But partly because I want him to realise that I'm not actually trying to keep money away from him. I'm perfectly happy to share things with him. What I'm NOT happy about is the idea that because my salary increased, he automatically gets access to my personal spending money.

I've already offered him an extra £1,000 a month. He said no. So I'm not exactly sure what he's protesting about anymore.

Because from where I'm sitting, we're both being stubborn, but only one of us seems to have decided that withholding sex is an appropriate way of dealing with a bruised ego. I'm just wondering whether I'm being ridiculous for thinking that you can be pissed off with your husband about money AND still want to sleep with him.

OP posts:
JHound · 18/09/2026 14:32

BMW58 · 18/09/2026 14:28

I'll bet my house that the OP is the husband here

I agree with that.

BMW58 · 18/09/2026 14:28

I'll bet my house that the OP is the husband here

NewNewYork · 18/09/2026 14:17

So you got more money and now , months later, you're magnanimously offering him the same wellness package? But you didn't do it at the time.

You told him where you're spending the money... then months later offered him 1k. You didnt do it at the time

and why 1k? If it isn't half then you don't share the calendar of halfsies OR what's mine is mine- it's a half-way meaningless gesture that neither concedes to a shared position position or holds your line.

"He"* isn't witholding sex. He just doesn't want to fuck you because he's put off you.

*He, because this sounds like a bloke pissed off at a woman 🤨

Beeloux · 18/09/2026 14:08

I’m not sexually attracted to greedy, money grabbing men so my view would be opposite. I wouldn’t want to have sex with him at all.

Timeforachange26 · 18/09/2026 13:44

PinkCactusPink · 17/09/2026 12:26

"It simply costs more to be a woman"

Sorry? The only thing I absolutely need to buy that my DH doesn't need is period products (and in my situation bras!) Every other cost associated with "being a woman" is a choice.

Edited

Yeah I don't get why it costs more to be a woman

ThatCyanCat · 17/09/2026 13:39

arethereanyleftatall · 17/09/2026 12:15

lol - don’t bite. Very obvious attempt to reverse sexes and see the response.

Yeah, it's very clumsy.

grumpygrape · 17/09/2026 13:29

This is love ?
This is a marriage ?

Bollocks, this is transactional.

SereneFinch · 17/09/2026 13:19

AbzMoz · 17/09/2026 12:59

Yes and being a woman who has earned her money, she has the choice to spend it on the haircuts, health clubs, clothes etc that make her happy. Why the hell she should temper her choice for a man throwing a tantrum is beyond me.

It’s not her money, it’s their money.

PinkCactusPink · 17/09/2026 13:15

AbzMoz · 17/09/2026 12:59

Yes and being a woman who has earned her money, she has the choice to spend it on the haircuts, health clubs, clothes etc that make her happy. Why the hell she should temper her choice for a man throwing a tantrum is beyond me.

I didn't say she does? I just pointed out the flipping obvious that being a woman does not cost more than being a man. Unless you're saying that haircuts, health clubs and clothes are strictly only for females and necessary to the survival of the female sex? 😑

AbzMoz · 17/09/2026 12:59

PinkCactusPink · 17/09/2026 12:26

"It simply costs more to be a woman"

Sorry? The only thing I absolutely need to buy that my DH doesn't need is period products (and in my situation bras!) Every other cost associated with "being a woman" is a choice.

Edited

Yes and being a woman who has earned her money, she has the choice to spend it on the haircuts, health clubs, clothes etc that make her happy. Why the hell she should temper her choice for a man throwing a tantrum is beyond me.

Whaleandsnail6 · 17/09/2026 12:37

RealFlawless · 17/09/2026 12:07

YABmassivelyU. Your proposed financial arrangements are very unfair on your husband and you expect him to have sex with you despite you acting in a hurtful way- even though you claim he doesn't owe you sex, everything else in your post reads as if you think he does.

Your stress and hormones are irrelevant. Have a wank. You sound like one of those men constantly on about their needs 😬

All of this.

JHound · 17/09/2026 12:36

AbzMoz · 17/09/2026 12:22

It’s your money and it simply costs more to be a woman. I don’t think that all financial decisions require consensus. Of course you want to top up your own investments and pensions. I’m fairly sure you’re doing the kids’ too.

Dont add him to the health plan - that sounds like a weird and controlling I told you so, and isn’t addressing his desire to have autonomy in the financial decision making.

It doesn’t cost more to be a woman.

MatildaTheCat · 17/09/2026 12:34

Here’s a wild suggestion to be making to someone who is senior enough at work to have this problem: talk to your husband (or wife?), ask what is upsetting them and discuss like adults then be prepared to change the current arrangement and apologise.

OatMilkPorridge · 17/09/2026 12:32

Hopefulsalmon · 17/09/2026 12:30

Bloody hell, fancy having so much spare money and still arguing about it.
This does sound like some kind of reverse.

It sounds like some kind of 💩

JHound · 17/09/2026 12:31

McSpoot · 17/09/2026 12:02

If a woman came on saying her husband expected spending to be 50:50 when he out earned her by 50%, she’d be told that he was totally unreasonable and financially abusive..

All the comments above yours have said OP is in the wrong. “If a man blah blah blah” is boring and unnecessary.

Hopefulsalmon · 17/09/2026 12:30

Bloody hell, fancy having so much spare money and still arguing about it.
This does sound like some kind of reverse.

JHound · 17/09/2026 12:30

And to your question personally, no. I cannot have sex with people I am pissed off with.

JHound · 17/09/2026 12:28

Doesn’t sound like you were interested in a fair and balanced:discussion till your husband expressed displeasure. I don’t understand this kind of financial arrangement between married couples tbh. At a minimum I think household costs ( which includes joints savings and investments) should be contributed to proportionately and then having a discussion about the “rest”. I don’t necessarily think you need the same spending money but that should be discussed.

Your husband’s behaviour is also childish too though.

PinkCactusPink · 17/09/2026 12:26

AbzMoz · 17/09/2026 12:22

It’s your money and it simply costs more to be a woman. I don’t think that all financial decisions require consensus. Of course you want to top up your own investments and pensions. I’m fairly sure you’re doing the kids’ too.

Dont add him to the health plan - that sounds like a weird and controlling I told you so, and isn’t addressing his desire to have autonomy in the financial decision making.

"It simply costs more to be a woman"

Sorry? The only thing I absolutely need to buy that my DH doesn't need is period products (and in my situation bras!) Every other cost associated with "being a woman" is a choice.

Corvids · 17/09/2026 12:23

I think the issue with the money is that you aren't actually approaching this as as a joint decision about your finances. Your approaching it like you have the money and get to dole it out like pocket money.

He doesn't want an allowance from you. He wants the split of your finances to be a fair reflection of your incomings. You earn 50% more than him, so your share of the household bills should be 50% more.

It's different if the entirety of your new salary was going into shared savings etc, but if you've increased you personal allowance by 30% that isn't the case.

When one partner significantly out-earns the other, in my opinion the fairest way to split bills is proportionately to income.

The sex thing appears childish (from him) on the face of it, but is he actually being spiteful, or is he feeling emotionally disconnected and therefore not in the mood?

This is a loving marriage so you both need to approach the issue with love and empathy. Ask him what a fair financial picture looks like to him. Recognise that giving him an allowance while still holding the purse strings isn't the same as both of you paying a proportionate contribution. Tell him you miss the intimacy and would like to resolve this situation holistically, with both of you comfortable with the result.

AbzMoz · 17/09/2026 12:22

It’s your money and it simply costs more to be a woman. I don’t think that all financial decisions require consensus. Of course you want to top up your own investments and pensions. I’m fairly sure you’re doing the kids’ too.

Dont add him to the health plan - that sounds like a weird and controlling I told you so, and isn’t addressing his desire to have autonomy in the financial decision making.

Crushed23 · 17/09/2026 12:20

You’re a high earner in your mid-40s (so presumably very senior) who just received a 50% pay rise and you want to keep it to yourself instead of share it with your husband and father of your three teenagers?

I don’t believe in completely pooling finances in a relationship, but this seems particularly selfish/inconsiderate.

I would start by changing the 50/50 split of joint expenses to 70/30 or whatever your higher pay now dictates. Contribution to shared expenses should be proportionate to pay.

RealFlawless · 17/09/2026 12:20

You've switched from pounds to euros, OP.

Some of these numbers don't add up if you're in the UK (for example, to be earning enough to give yourself £13k a month personal allowance, you'd have very limited scope to put money into a pension).

Mouldemort · 17/09/2026 12:20

You are married - what's yours is also his.

By all means have separate fun accounts for personal purchases and walking around money, but the rest should go in a joint account. You need to apologise.

Sort out the finances and the sex will sort itself out.

fiveyo · 17/09/2026 12:18

pilarrodriguztoubosb · 17/09/2026 12:14

Actually, most of my increased salary went towards savings, investments and pensions, which we both benefit from.

So we planned to keep the 50/50 split for the rest of the household expenses as usual. Since most of my extra income was being redirected elsewhere, we didn't have any problem with that arrangement at all.

The problem started with our personal allowances. I increased mine by 30% compared with what I was getting before, and I also offered him an extra €1,000 a month, which was about 10% more than his previous allowance.

That's where his ego got hurt.

If an extra 1k a month is a 10% uplift on his previous 'personal spend' allowance that means he's gone from 10k a month to 11k a month and you've gone from 10k a month to 13k a month?

Unless my Maths is failing me?

Feels like there is enough money flying around here that you should be able to have a very nice life and not fall out over it. Certainly enough for you to buy yourself a very good vibrator.

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