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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To request 'house keeping' from partner

351 replies

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 11:26

Sorry if people find the term house keeping offensive, just not sure how else to phrase it !

Firstly I'd like to add I know I'm not hard done by, we have a very good quality of life and money for people our age (25) and I'm very grateful, I'm just wanting opinions on what is fair between me and my boyfriend.

I know questions like this usually result in people saying "as long as you are both happy / feel it's right etc yada yada it's right", however I genuinely can't work out if I should feel under valued or if I'm getting my fair entitlement.

Me and my partner have just bought a house, we have worked out how much all our monthly expenditure is including mortgage, bills, dog care and walkers, joint spending money (cinema, meals out etc) insurance, savings, food and a few other things. And then worked out what % of our joint income this is, and transferring that % from our wages into a joint account and what remaining is individual 'spending money' for hobbies and frivoulous things.

We both do over time but this goes towards holidays and presents/christmas.

So my partners spending money after his personal bills (car, phone etc) is 850.

My personal spending after credit card and travel is about 220. My cards should be paid off by august. So will likely be 400ish then.

I only work 3 days a week because we agreed it would be good to have me at home two days to do all house work (quite a big house) look after the dog (gettiing a puppy eee) etc and I'm also going to do a post grad distant learning course and voluntary. So me being at home means he shouldn't have to barely lift a finger evening and weekends. I also always do all evening meals as he is exceptionally incompetent in the kitchen. - my job is also very stressful and I dont get any enjoyment from it, but theres nothing else I can do which is as near by and pays aswell, all other jobs i could do would only pay an extra 2k for full time and likely cancelled out by travel so not worth it, my partner loves his job though.

I believe that my partner should be entitled to more as he is working harder, I don't believe house work is comparable to a full day of work, so I'm not suggesting equal spends. But should I get a small amount extra spending money to compensate for doing all house work?

We don't like the joint pot idea just yet, both in agreement that we want to have our own money for frivolous things and some independence, when we marry/ have kids that'll change.

He won't spend 800 a month, and I know 250 isn't a tiny amount but I spend about 70 every 4/5 weeks to travel to see my family, so that's 180, which is 45 a week, but I like my hair, make up clothes and nights out etc, my boyfriend doesn't really spend on any of that , he maybe buys a new game and a few comics a month and then goes out for a few drinks once a week. He says he doesn't spend over 250 usually. And ultimately his savings will benefit me as it's going towards starting a business for us (which is what my course is towards)

When my cards are paid off in summer I feel 400 is plenty, but till then 220 just seems very low comparatively to his 800.

Is it unreasonable for me to suggest a token gesture amount per month for doing all house work, maybe £50? or since he is already paying a larger chunk of bills should I should just be grateful and keep quiet?

Thanks

OP posts:
boringlyboring · 06/01/2019 15:22

I can’t get my head around a 25 year old voluntarily reducing her earning and pension capacity by 40% to cook and clean for a boyfriend.

She isn’t. She’s retraining for a career (which the boyfriend is also partially financing), and will use the spare time in the day to do the main chores so they can both relax in the evening.

This is similar to my situation OP, except we’re both saving to pay for my retraining at the minute. Working part time gives the spare time to run some errands for my nan too.

We however pool everything together, and whats left after bills, we save a portion and spend the rest however we want. It works for us.

I would say, considering your ownership is 60/40, and your finances aren’t 100% joint, he should pay a bit more toward joint bills. That would be the easiest.

Dungeondragon15 · 06/01/2019 15:23

That said, I don't think your BF owes you anything because he is already paying more each month to "subsidise" you being at home. It's only fair that you contribute by doing housework.

I thought OP and her BF paid the same amount towards bills so he isn't subsidising her.

Bluntness100 · 06/01/2019 15:24

But he most definately isnt taking advantage of me

I think he is if he's going to see you paying half the bills and have only a couple of hundred quid a month left and he has over eight hundred.

My husband and I never had that disparity and always had our own accounts, even when just living together, whomever the higher earner was paid more into the joint account. At the beginning he earned wat more than me, and now I earn way more than him. At no stage in our lives together have we had a situation where one was skint and the other not. And Neither of us would have had to consider begging for an extra fifty quid a month or offering to do the others chores for it.

If you can't see what's wrong here, then I don't think anyone can help you.

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 15:26

AgathaMisty

Thank you !

Too many personal comments made when all i was asking if i should have extra spending money and do more house work! When now im in agreement that i shouldnt.

I dont know why i have had to defend myself so much. Im not offended by people telling me im unreasonable and shouldnt do house work. Im offended by all the additional judgements

OP posts:
FuckingYuleLog · 06/01/2019 15:27

Of course he’s hoarding his earnings! I’d it was definitely being saved for you to start a joint business it would be in a joint savings account. It isn’t. At the very least he is keeping his options open.

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 15:28

We pay proportions. So we pay 60% of our indivdual income into joint. 40% of our indivdial income stays in account.

He actually suggested pooling but it was me who said i like some independence and he agreed

OP posts:
AgathaMisty · 06/01/2019 15:28

I thought OP and her BF paid the same amount towards bills so he isn't subsidising her.

They each pay a percentage of their salary. At least that's what OP said when she first posted.

WontonSoupForTheSoul · 06/01/2019 15:29

Is he paying 60% of the monthly mortgage?

Bluntness100 · 06/01/2019 15:29

Why are you thanking Agatha, I don't understand, has she not got it wrong and uou and your partner are splitting the bills equally? Are you saying he is paying a lot more than you and you still want extra?

Dungeondragon15 · 06/01/2019 15:30

My husband and I never had that disparity and always had our own accounts, even when just living together, whomever the higher earner was paid more into the joint account.

That's your choice but it doesn't mean that everyone who lives together has to act as if they are married. Some people see it as pretty much the same thing nowadays but not everyone. DH and I kept things separate until we were married as I didn't see him as my "life partner" until we had made that commitment.

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 15:30

WontonSoupForTheSoul

Yes. We have said if we marry have kids everything will be 50/50

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 06/01/2019 15:30

So we pay 60% of our indivdual income into joint. 40% of our indivdial income stays in account

Ah so he is paying a lot more than you?

boringlyboring · 06/01/2019 15:32

Oh I misread, you’re already doing that!

Then I think it’s fair how its already set up - but until your credit card is paid off what if he paid a bit extra? Just to give you some leeway, and when it’s paid off just revert back to what you’re doing now.

Imissgmichael · 06/01/2019 15:32

Purple there was absolutely no need for your awful post and it seems you haven’t read all the thread properly.

The OP is planning to retrain whilst working PT so that she can start a business. She’s also said she picks up extra bank shifts.

She’s a MH professional who’s had to have hospital treatment for being assaulted. You need to get off your judgmental high horse. No wonder HCPs are leaving the profession with attitudes like yours.

Butchyrestingface · 06/01/2019 15:33

Im offended by all the additional judgements

I see it more as people expressing concern for you due to their perception that you're about to embark on a high risk venture.

I don't think the situation as described is hugely unfair - but definitely get him doing some more housework (i.e., IRONING!), but it does have the potential for you to lose out more than him.

Bluntness100 · 06/01/2019 15:33

That's your choice but it doesn't mean that everyone who lives together has to act as if they are married

How's it acting like we were married to have our own accounts and retain our financial independence from one another and have one joint account for joint expenditure? And rhe higher earner pays more into that than the lower earner?

And we were a couple. Why would we have made it so one of us was skint and the other not?

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 15:34

Bluntness100

Depends what you consider a lot. I included it in the opening post that he does contrubute more proportionally. But hes also left with significantly more than me. But this is all represented in the ownership of the house

OP posts:
AgathaMisty · 06/01/2019 15:34

Ah so he is paying a lot more than you?

That's right Bluntness which is why I think it's only fair that OP contributes in another way, eg. by doing housework.

As an extreme example, if I stopped working and my DH had to pay all the bills, I'd make up for it by doing every and all household task.

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 15:37

boringlyboring

Yea i was thinking of doing that as it seems redundant me to pay into a joint savings while my card is growing in interest. He will be in agreement he hates credit cards.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 06/01/2019 15:39

I don't really agree with you Agatha, I get your theory, but in reality I don't like it, at the beginning of our relationship my husband earned more than me, so paid a higher proportion of the joint expenditure. I didn't consider offering to do all the household tasks to make up for it, and he didn't ask.

Now I do. I pay about two thirds to his third. I wouldn't in a million years expect him to do all the house hold chores to recompense me.

So I don't think I agree, I simply don't see there is anything ro be recompensed.

Dungeondragon15 · 06/01/2019 15:40

How's it acting like we were married to have our own accounts and retain our financial independence from one another and have one joint account for joint expenditure? And rhe higher earner pays more into that than the lower earner?

Because you are sharing finances which to me is something married couples or "life partners" do. I'm not saying people shouldn't do that if they haven't made a commitment but I don't see why they should have to if they don't want to.

BrokenWing · 06/01/2019 15:41

I wouldnt ask for money to essentially be my partners maid. It's is demeaning and further sets the unequal status's you have in your relationship.

If you choose to work part time while he contributes more financially then you are time rich so naturally help out by doing a bit more of the chores.

Like many posters I do think you are being naive about the financial disadvantage you are putting yourself in, it's your choice but eventually you will regret it.

I would also wait until you are in a more stable position of how you will retrain, go ft etc before committing the next 10+ years to the responsible care, time and costs a dog requires and the restrictions it brings you (not your dp who will be too busy working and building his career/business).

boringlyboring · 06/01/2019 15:44

I’m sorry if you’ve already said, I did read your posts but I’ve a memory like a sieve and my battery is low so I won’t make it through scrolling backGrin

How much are you paying into joint savings? If it’s an amount that would make a dent, deffo think about putting it on the credit card instead (or even using a small portion of the savings to hep pay it off quicker?)

WontonSoupForTheSoul · 06/01/2019 15:45

Hang on, he may be paying more, but he also has a contract giving him more ownership of the house.

Please, please, please insist on 50/50 from the start. Agree to ringfence his larger deposit if you need to.

I don’t know what the legislation is where you are, but where I live, this would mean that in the event of a split, he could force the sale of the house to get his 60%.

You would be mad to agree to this.

Talula1993 · 06/01/2019 15:45

Please dog care isnt an issue we have a lot of support from family for this, its been discussed at depth

OP posts: