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Husband gifted £5k

730 replies

everychildmatters · 21/03/2025 21:05

Long story short...
My SIL came over today and she let it slip (she of course assumed I knew) that her parents had gifted husband £5k (she had her dad's car when he stopped driving at 83 so they were "evening things out."
Hubby and I both work but I'm a SEND Tutor which means I only get paid for the hours I work e.g not in school holidays. We rent privately as simply can't afford to buy and has been that way for years. My car is also on its last legs and I do a lot of travel for work so no idea what to do when that packs up!! His mum and dad have just also purchased him a beautiful new electric car.
Hubby knows my anxiety about paying bills etc has been through the roof.
He says he didn't tell me because I have been so stressed, but the truth is (IMO) is he didn't tell me because I could then have said could we use some of that if I can't get work over six weeks holiday etc?
I feel so let down and disappointed - I don't think he'd ever have told me if I hadn't found put through SIL.
Perhaps I'm being unreasonable but feeling crap tbh.

OP posts:
ThreeLocusts · 22/03/2025 13:04

OP I'm sorry. Your husband comes across as an absolute prick, and some of the posters on here are way out of order. You don't sound to me like you lack critical thinking skills or want to be a kept woman.

The thought that he is squirreling money away while you lose sleep over how to pay the bills makes me so angry on your behalf. You seem to think that he does this out of thoughtlessness more than anything else, but it feels worse than that, extremely callous at the very least.

He puts money away for his daughter (without telling her mother) but he doesn't care if the mother lies awake fretting about how to pay the bills (which need to be paid for his daughter's sake, too)? And then posters come along and pretend that the issue here is you being workshy? Something wrong with mumsnet today.

Anyway I don't know how you sort this out, but changing your job situation alone can't be the way forward, methinks. Your financial arrangements need to change fundamentally, so that keeping the family afloat financially is fully the responsibility of both of you and he doesn't get to accumulate while you scrimp to pay the bills.

Eviebeans · 22/03/2025 13:05

everychildmatters · 21/03/2025 22:45

@purpleblue2 He has a lot more "spare" than me once bills are paid, plus around £15k savings. I don't work in a school.

Edited

Why has it worked out that he has more spare than you? How is that okay?

Eviebeans · 22/03/2025 13:06

He sounds selfish

travelallthetime · 22/03/2025 13:14

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 12:21

@Mnetcurious I've tried time and time again. He believes his contributions are reasonable.

you need to sit down with the bills in front of you and ask him to explain why he thinks its 'fine' for him to pay £xx and you to pay £xxx more than him in order to run the home.

There is simply no reasonable answer. Leave him

GryffindorsSword · 22/03/2025 13:17

I've just read your posts, so sorry if I've missed other comments saying the same thing. But the problem is that finances isn't just this siloed thing that he can be a bit crap with or selfish about and then be a great partner in every other aspect of life.

Money affects so many aspects of family life so you need to be on the same page. I think you both need to sit down and make a joint budget with all your expenses and income and figure it out. If he won't then you could do it and ask him to look at it and see if there are any changes he would make.

If he will not co-operate with you at all on finances then it's relationship counselling or potentially a relationship ending situation. You say he buries his head in the sand about money, but you are kind of doing that about the relationship. If you are in relationship with someone who is happy to see you struggle whilst he gets treats, who would not pay important bills, who would reduce his contribution to the family to keep you in this stressed situation... that isn't a kind and loving person to build a life with and it isn't going to get better on its own.

It could be that things are just really tight for both of you and you are both sniping about it - the way new parents might snipe at each other about who is most tired, when really both need more sleep. But it does sound in places like it could be actual financial abuse, so definitely read up on that and see if it fits with other things.

I like to listen to The Ramsay Show (you can catch it on YouTube) it's a radio call in show about personal finances, and the calls are about situations like this. Whilst it is US based, I think there is a lot of transferable ideas about budgeting and relationally how we handle money. I think if you listened to it for a while you would have a clearer vision of what working together with a partner to improve your joint finances could look like. I definitely felt my standards rise whilst watching it!

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 14:49

Eviebeans · 22/03/2025 13:05

Why has it worked out that he has more spare than you? How is that okay?

Because the op has two teens from a previous marriage and I’m guessing that some of her money goes towards them. Whereas he doesn’t

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 14:58

travelallthetime · 22/03/2025 13:03

yes, in covid when I had no income I got a job in tesco. recently my brother needed an additional income, also tesco. It is not difficult to get a job there

Massive Lol. My nearest Tesco is a 90 minute drive away by car in the city.

I love the way that urban posters assume everyone lives in a large town or city and they have no concept of what life’s like for those of us living rurally.

I don’t have access to takeaway food shops, Ubers, or any taxi company, or even a local bus service. If you can’t drive or cycle, you’re stuffed.
😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 14:59

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 14:58

Massive Lol. My nearest Tesco is a 90 minute drive away by car in the city.

I love the way that urban posters assume everyone lives in a large town or city and they have no concept of what life’s like for those of us living rurally.

I don’t have access to takeaway food shops, Ubers, or any taxi company, or even a local bus service. If you can’t drive or cycle, you’re stuffed.
😂🤷🏻‍♀️

So would be pretty bloody daft to move somewhere like that if you didn’t drive or cycle

travelallthetime · 22/03/2025 15:02

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 14:58

Massive Lol. My nearest Tesco is a 90 minute drive away by car in the city.

I love the way that urban posters assume everyone lives in a large town or city and they have no concept of what life’s like for those of us living rurally.

I don’t have access to takeaway food shops, Ubers, or any taxi company, or even a local bus service. If you can’t drive or cycle, you’re stuffed.
😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Ok, but 90% of the population will live nearer than 90 minutes to a big supermarket.

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 15:10

@everychildmatters you’ve had lots of good advice on this thread amongst a sea of absolute twattyness, so please focus on the sensible posts and simply ignore the cunty ones. No point wasting energy on them as they’re only posting to get a response as they’re to be pitied for being sad bastards with little happiness in their pathetic lives.

THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE!

It boils down to you and your DH finding time to sit and thrash this financial fiasco out once and for all. He absolutely cannot be allowed to keep ignoring how much the current situation is stressing you out. Make it crystal clear to him that you’ve reached breaking point and if things don’t change, you’re done with him.

Ideally, you need to draft an Annual budget with all the figures of your actual income and expenditures and print off two copies and stick one in front of him.

Ask him why he feels entitled to enjoy a happy relatively relaxed lifestyle at your expense? Does he think that’s fair?

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 15:12

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 14:59

So would be pretty bloody daft to move somewhere like that if you didn’t drive or cycle

True, except that I do drive but DH has since become medically unfit to drive, so that’s a tricky one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Things change and we don’t always have much control when they do.

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 15:15

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 15:12

True, except that I do drive but DH has since become medically unfit to drive, so that’s a tricky one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Things change and we don’t always have much control when they do.

Edited

Not to be rude, but how did this become about you and your dh?

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 15:31

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 15:15

Not to be rude, but how did this become about you and your dh?

It isn’t, obviously.

However, I was initially pointing out up thread that some posters offer flippant ‘solutions’ without considering the OP’s specific circumstances, such as work during the school holidays or anyone who needs extra cash can simply get a p/t job in Tescos.

The OP needs useful practical suggestions relevant to her situation, not airy fairy nonsense and my reply above reflects this.

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 15:32

FuckityFux · 22/03/2025 15:31

It isn’t, obviously.

However, I was initially pointing out up thread that some posters offer flippant ‘solutions’ without considering the OP’s specific circumstances, such as work during the school holidays or anyone who needs extra cash can simply get a p/t job in Tescos.

The OP needs useful practical suggestions relevant to her situation, not airy fairy nonsense and my reply above reflects this.

Goodness do we now need to consider every possible variable in making suggestions to an OP? How would one know that suggesting a job at Tesco’s wasn’t “practical” for an OP?

YourWildAmberSloth · 22/03/2025 15:34

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 00:57

@Sleepington I do, he's so great in so many other ways.
I don't blame his relationship with money entirely on him when I think about it. I know it's always come from a place of love, but his parents have always supported him a lot financially and I think he's always known he can rely on this.
For example, he's very intelligent but didn't push himself to go to uni and get a degree - he was more than happy in lower-paid job with less stress. He knew he'd have Bank of Mum and Dad to buy him cars, holidays etc. He was never expected to pay rent when living at home.
I was raised very differently and taught by my parents that as soon as I'd graduated I was no longer their financial responsibility.
It is a bone of contention in our marriage but I suppose I should just accept that they have always done it out of love for their son and continue to do so, even though he's almost 50?

That would have been a complete turn off for many women.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 22/03/2025 15:46

Boredlass · 22/03/2025 08:26

I’ve seen many times on here where a woman has been gifted money and she’s been told to keep it in her own account. Why is it different now it’s the man getting it?

Mainly because she is being financially and emotionally abused. The OPs PIL have said it was for their family-not for him to bank with all his other savings and his swanky new car whilst OP worries about hers breaking down with a young child on board and not being able to get to work…

The OP says if she earns more, he will just reduce his input. There is no team here. They should put everything into one pot each month and then have equal personal spends put into their personal account. It says everything when he has everything including savings and a really nice easy life and OP does not. If you don’t see what’s wrong in this situation I can’t help you

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 22/03/2025 16:59

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 12:08

@Bettyfromlondon Thank you. I'm not feeling great today and quite shaky, but some of that is probably due to lack of sleep as well as anxiety.
I will take some time to think about the next steps and will prioritise trying to find the money to get my car fixed as that's just adding to my worry! ❤️

But you don't need to "find the money" it's bloody there in your husbands bank account!!!

This problem could be solved in days if he would just be a partner and not a hindrance and actually help pay for family costs the crop up, like one of the family cars needing repairs.

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 17:26

@MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel Sadly I can't force him to help me out with my car repair - he simply won't. I need to somehow find the money so I can get myself to my students and transport our daughter safely.

OP posts:
MissScarletInTheBallroom · 22/03/2025 17:28

@everychildmatters What would he say if you just said, "We can't pay the rent this month"?

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 22/03/2025 17:28

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 17:26

@MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel Sadly I can't force him to help me out with my car repair - he simply won't. I need to somehow find the money so I can get myself to my students and transport our daughter safely.

Ask him what his plans are for covering all the household expenses when your car dies and you cannot work.

Then ask for a divorce.....

Radish81 · 22/03/2025 17:40

I can’t imagine how awful the atmosphere must be in this house op. Your poor child. And you!

Do you pay for everything for your two teens because your dh said he wouldn’t pay a penny toward them? Did you not have to rent a bigger property for them?

CantStopMoving · 22/03/2025 17:46

I honestly really do not think this is a healthy relationship OP. Marriage is a team. The second it isn’t, time to bow out…

Rainbow1901 · 22/03/2025 18:03

You sound really intimidated by this man - it isn't a good thing to be experiencing with someone who is meant to love you. You seem to be shut down by this man every time you raise the subject of money with him - present him with the scenario when your car breaks down that he will be paying the rent and everything else if he is refuses to help you with your car.
You mentioned earlier that he pays a few other bits and pieces - so you both need to sit down with all the bills and work out where your joint finances are at. If he really can't afford to pay more then you both need to be looking at earning more money or cutting expenses elsewhere.
But I somehow have the feeling that you yourself are blocking things especially given some of the suggestions that other pp have offered plus not pushing the issue with your DH that he keeps saying he can't afford it. Someone with savings is not as badly off as someone with no savings or back up at all which is your predicament and he's not up for sharing!!

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 18:41

@Radish81 My two much older sons live for the vast majority with their Dad. Of course I still contribute financially for them and wouldn't expect my husband to do so as they're not his. They have a bedroom each when they visit, although when my eldest goes to uni in September our daughter will move into his room so she has her own (in with us currently).

OP posts:
Radish81 · 22/03/2025 18:41

everychildmatters · 22/03/2025 18:41

@Radish81 My two much older sons live for the vast majority with their Dad. Of course I still contribute financially for them and wouldn't expect my husband to do so as they're not his. They have a bedroom each when they visit, although when my eldest goes to uni in September our daughter will move into his room so she has her own (in with us currently).

So surely you pay CMS?