to think dh having this much to spend on himself per week is too much?

[milkysmum]

WE have two small children, i am currently on maternity leave so money at the moment is pretty tight. We pay both our wages into the joint account to cover household expenses. DH then has £50 per week to spend on himself. I think this exessive given how tight money is at the moment and when I do go back to work in the summer will be reducing my hours to part time now we have two little ones (full time nursery for both would wipw out my entire wage!). dh is a bricklayer so money variable and pretty crap in current economic climate and in pooe weather. He thinks £50 is reasonable to cover his smoking( a bone of contention between us), snooker with the lads once a week and other bits and bobs? So maybe it's not alot and i am being unreasonable I'm just not sure.
apoligies for terrible typing am currently bfing ds and doing this one handed!

So he earns £300pw (is that before or after tax?), and wants £50 of that to just spend for himself? That is a very high proportion of income.

Our household income is more than 3x that, and £50 per week each is what DH and I have to spend on ourselves for clothes, toiletries, social stuff.

Is there anything he can do to increase his income?

it's silly to compare it and say 'oh we spend that on a family of four' - it's only either excessive or not as a fraction of their income. I spend more than £50 a week on myself - and that's not a bad thing, because my income allows me to do that. You can't come on and ask randomly 'is £50 a lot of money'.

I actually don't think it is very much spare cash for an adult to have - but if you can't afford it, then it's too much!

£50 a week is massive.
BTW, while it is good that he doesn't smoke directly around the DCs, he should realise it does still affect them - washing his hands doesn't stop it being on his clothes and breath!

I agree with "if you can't afford it it's too much" - sensible rule of thumb!

OP why are you saying that the childcare costs would wipe out YOUR entire wage. You should BOTH be contributing towards childcare. HE should be paying something towards it too. Ive lost count of the times ive seen posts on here where the OP and the partner too it seems,seems to think its down to the mother to pay the childcare out of her wage alone.

Excellent point. I've never understood this either.

Samandi- I guess what I mean is the equivilant of my wage whish is why it makes more sense to go part time this meaning I can also spend more time with the DC's. We pool both our wages so it is certainly not a case of me being expected to pay for the childcare alone. I understand 'spendiing money' is relative to what you have spare but I guess I was canvassing opinions on whether people thoughts £50 was alot of money or if this was an amount most people would spend on themselves per week. Going to try the money saving sepert budget planner that someone suggested and then present him with the figures in black and white!