Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband and I constantly argue about money and have totally different views. I can't work out who is being unreasonable?

246 replies

cleoteacher · 05/11/2015 22:40

We have totally different attitudes to money. I don't know how to solve it and we have had another blazing row. I just don't know who is right or wrong anymore.

Basically he had a text from his mate to go out for drinks. He wanted to go but I reminded him he is low in his account. This leads to him ranting at me that it's my fault he can't go and I am dictating how he's spending his money and he earns x amount and only gets x amount of this. He's very mine, mine, mine in my opinion.

He then argues it's my fault because I got him a pair of trousers out of his account, which were less than half price. He argues these should have come out of the joint account and he didn't want me to get them for him. However , I thought I was doing something nice as the previous night he came home complaining that he urgently needed new trousers for work. I asked him twice before I brought them online if he wanted them and he said he did but is now saying he didn't want to upset me by saying no.

He then argued he should get it out the joint account as I had. £150 recently from a £450 tax rebate into my own account and the rest into savings and he had paid £1,000 bonus into the savings account recently out of a £2,000 bonus. The other £1,000 went towards the deposit on a car I didn't want.

He says I micro manage his money and constantly blames me for the fact he can't have nights out or new clothes. But he gets a set amount of money every month and chooses to spend it on other stuff so doesn't have the money for these things. He wants to get overdrawn to buy these things but I don't want to get overdrawn after spending years in our overdrafts and have worked bloody hard to get out of it. I know he's only talking about £10 or so snd he says he would make it up the following month but I feel like he wouldn't, he's very reckless with money. Plus I get half the amount he gets and I manage to buy clothes etc with that money without going overdrawn so feel while I work really hard to manage my money so should he. He's not willing to sacrifice one thing for something else like I am.

I want to save and feel we should underspend in our own accounts and use this to put into extra savings which he doesn't want to do as he doesn't care about any of the things I want to save for. Yet he wants a weeks holiday abroad next year and likes a warm house now we have a new boiler, all of which we only have due to my careful management of money.

So I get his point about being too controlling with the money but I feel I have to be of we would never have the savings. I don't dictate what he spends his money on I just ask him to stick to a certain amount which he says he can't do and should have more as he earns x amount plans only sees a small amount of that money.

I try to be a nice person about it and have got him a new paid of shoes as an early birthday present recently even though I had earmarked that money for some shoes myself. I just can't see who's right it wrong anymore.

Please be nice.

OP posts:
rookiemere · 06/11/2015 17:41

Gosh I'm veering to the other side now.

No one said the carpets were sh*t. They may not be the latest fashion but that doesn't mean that they are filthy - carpets generally aren't if they are hoovered regularly and carpet cleaned occasionally.

Some of the carpets in our house are around 20 years old now. We're replacing them gradually and yes they're a bit faded, but pose no health hazard for DS.

Chewbecca · 06/11/2015 17:49

He wasn't getting into debt by spending some money though, it means you are saving less. Very different scenario.

The crux of the problem here is that you disagree on the acceptable proportion of savings/spendings. It's got nothing to do with getting into debt, he's not suggesting that, he's disagreeing with the claim you are skint when you're not, it is only because you have a higher savings target than him. That's what you need to sort out.

Marynary · 06/11/2015 17:51

rookiemore sorry, my mistake. I thought you were suggesting that the children were deprived because of the DH's spending.

Marynary · 06/11/2015 17:57

He wasn't getting into debt by spending some money though, it means you are saving less. Very different scenario.

It doesn't even mean they save less with regard to long term savings. They just can't replace carpets, furniture and curtains etc as quickly as OP would like.

AyeAmarok · 06/11/2015 18:00

He wasn't getting into debt by spending some money though, it means you are saving less. Very different scenario.

It's not though, because the OP said the H used to end up 800 in his overdraft at the end of the month, more than they save by a lot. So he apparently has very little self control.

He doesn't see having no money left as a reason why he can't do something he wants to do, or buy something he wants. He thinks the OP should forgo even more so he can have everything he wants and she gets nothing. THAT'S why it's a problem.

Writerwannabe83 · 06/11/2015 18:03

Me and my DH have our wages going into a joint account.

DH has 10% of our joint income for his personal account and I have 10% for my personal account.

Of the remaining 80% of our income everything house, car or child related comes out of that money.

We have two savings accounts (one for holidays and one for general saving) and money is automatically direct debited into those accounts out of the 80%.

Our Child Benefit automatically goes into another savings account to be used for DS when he's older.

We also put about £30 a month into DS's own bank account from out joint account.

I have no idea what DH does with his 10% and he had no idea what I do with mine, we just leave each other to get on with it. If DH wanted to spend some of his money to visit his friends or go out to the pub I would never, ever tell him he's not allowed too. I find it really odd that you know his balance of personal funds and think you can tell him what he can and can't do with it.

I would be livid if my DH dos this to me.

If everything is paid for house related and some money has been put into savings then just let your DH do what he wants with his allocated personal spends, if he wants to go into his overdraft then that's his choice, not yours.

witsender · 06/11/2015 18:04

She said 'they' didn't she? Implying they both did.

FunkyPeacock · 06/11/2015 18:08

The 'savings' thing does seem to be a bit of red herring when it becomes clear these are short term savings for household items rather than long term savings to provide security for the whole family in the event of a job loss, hole in roof etc etc

The OP thinks she needs new curtains and old ones aren't good enough. OP's DH thinks an old banger won't do and he needs to drive a new car.

While I would be inclined to agree with the OP in that I prefer to spend cash on the house that the car, I don't think that this makes me right and the flash car lovers wrong it is just a difference of opinion!

Marynary · 06/11/2015 18:08

It's not though, because the OP said the H used to end up 800 in his overdraft at the end of the month, more than they save by a lot. So he apparently has very little self control.

She also said that they has £3,000 savings and until recently when their boiler broke so he can't actually have been spending more than they save.

He doesn't see having no money left as a reason why he can't do something he wants to do, or buy something he wants. He thinks the OP should forgo even more so he can have everything he wants and she gets nothing. THAT'S why it's a problem.

They do have money left though. OP wants to spend it on prettier carpets, curtains, furniture and pictures for the walls. He would rather spend it on going out, clothes and cars. They have different priorities. Neither one is more worthy than the other.

AyeAmarok · 06/11/2015 18:43

Marynary do you seriously think that there is no problem with OP having only half the amount of fun money that the DH does? And out of the OP's even less money, he is happy for her to buy his shoes so that he has more money to spend on himself, and she has even less? And he'd rather her have even less again, because he would like them to have more savings for boilers/emergencies/holidays but doesn't want to have to save it out of his own fun money, so again, it's OP who has to compromise.

Really, you think this is all completely okay?

Marynary · 06/11/2015 18:57

Marynary do you seriously think that there is no problem with OP having only half the amount of fun money that the DH does?

I think that she chooses to put less money in her personal account so that there is more money in the joint account for her to buy things that she wants to buy though such as nicer curtains, carpets, pictures for the house etc. As her DH doesn't particularly want those things, arguably she is spending as much money on non essentials as he is.

SplitEndsBushyEyebrows · 06/11/2015 19:03

So, is it right that each person has the same disposable income after bills, regardless of their salary? Is that fair?

DW 35k
DH 12k

Should both parties come out with the same fun money each month then?

PrimalLass · 06/11/2015 19:17

Yes, each person should have the same in a partnership. We put everything into a joint account and get £100/month for frivolities each into our own accounts more than enough really. But DP still seems to think he can comment on the fact that I spend mine and he doesn't.

witsender · 06/11/2015 19:21

If they are both putting the same into the family in other respects, yes, if that works for them. I didn't work for 5 years, and have just started to again. I earn about a 3rd of DH's salary as I work around kids. But we have always had the same spending money. In fact, I've normally spent more than him. I contribute to the family in ways other than just financial, and took the hit to my career to raise our kids the way we jointly decided we wanted them raised. I don't see why I should be a comparative pauper for that.

AyeAmarok · 06/11/2015 19:23

there is more money in the joint account for her to buy things that she wants to buy though such as nicer curtains, carpets, pictures for the house etc.

Except that she can't buy the curtains, carpets etc (which is a joint purchase for their shared home, btw) because he spends the savings on the things he wants, like a new car. Seems he gets first dibs on the savings for things only he wants, because he earns more and thinks it's his.

Split, yes that would be fair. Do you think otherwise? One person in a marriage should live in poverty while the other lives the high life?

Generally in a marriage, or a co-habiting LTR, people share.

FunkyPeacock · 06/11/2015 19:24

I would say that 'fair' is whatever they agree between themselves that they both feel is reasonable and doesn't leave one party significantly worse off than the other.

I'm sure we all know a family unit, where one person or the other has an expensive hobby or indulgence (horse, yacht, motorbike etc etc) which means that a disproportionate amount of their disposable income goes on one of them - as long as both parties are in agreement then I wouldn't say the exact £ you each spend on yourselves has to be equal

witsender · 06/11/2015 19:25

She didn't say that did she. She said that he took half of his bonus and put it in savings, the other half went on new car. Her gripe seems to be mainly that he doesn't want to save any of his fun money to get the savings up quicker.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 06/11/2015 19:34

I earn 9x what DH does. Does that mean I can have 9x the spending money because I am the breadwinner ?

OP
Have you got a couple of months expenses saved up. That should be the first priority.
Then make a joint list of items to save for alternating his choice with yours. Save for each item in turn so you both get some of what you want e.g. Curtains for sitting room, flashy camera, new wardrobe, even bigger TV etc.

AyeAmarok · 06/11/2015 19:38

Actually, what she said was:

We have sat down and made a list of what we want to spend the money on in order of priority. All of it is household things. We are working through that list but got sidetracked with things which weren't high on the priority list like a car and electrical goods as he wanted them. He now says he doesn't care about the other things on the list- new curtains/ carpets etc so the inventive to save in his own account has gone.

So he's happy to spend their shared savings and money on stuff that only he wants, then overspends so they can't afford the stuff they agreed together that they want for the house.

PrimalLass · 06/11/2015 19:41

Or he didn't give a shit about new curtains and was only half listening

SplitEndsBushyEyebrows · 06/11/2015 19:46

Amarok I'm not entirely sure! If DP earned lots more than me I'd feel really cheeky expecting him to transfer some of his fun money to my account and top up my fun money - because I want to have the same as him.

I'm very independent with money so I may have a skewed view but this idea is very strange to me and makes no sense!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 06/11/2015 19:52

I suspect the original list was mainly her priorities and he hijacked it and made it about his priorities. So I thought it might work if both their priorities were acknowledged.

Just off to tell DH that some posters on MN think I should have way more spending money than him. Wink

AyeAmarok · 06/11/2015 19:56

Split I think it depends on how serious the relationship is. If you've not been together long and you've just moved in together and are renting a flat then you may not merge everything immediately.

But if you're married, or have a house/mortgage together, or children, then of course everything should be pooled and shared equally.

missymayhemsmum · 06/11/2015 19:59

Am struggling with how a couple who have all their bills covered and every day needs sorted, plus savings in the bank, are wasting energy arguing about whether one partner is 'allowed' to go fo a pint with a mate if he feels like it. FFS, do you know how expensive a divorce is?

Shutthatdoor · 06/11/2015 20:02

Or he didn't give a shit about new curtains and was only half listening

My DH agreed to redecorating our bedroom whilst watching the rugby

Swipe left for the next trending thread