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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Who IBU? Me or dh?

44 replies

ChngeName · 21/06/2019 21:46

Nc for this.

Background. Married for 5 years, 2 dc (4&1). I have a degree and pgce and he is in the armed forces. I became pregnant with dc1 unexpectedly not long after I graduated, and did my pgce while pregnant with dc2. So we could be together as a family, I moved to be with him at 2 of his military postings (one abroad [dc1] , one UK [dc2 and pgce] ). It wasn't my dream to be a teacher but we discussed and felt it would fit well for our family, given his career meant he was away so much.

Tonight we were talking about future finances. I suggested that once we have both hit the same earning (e.g as and when we are both earning £30k for example) we pay 50% of the household/childcare/etc costs, and have the rest of our respective wages to ourselves. Then as we climb our career ladders and earn more, we have more for our own personal spend. I suggested this because my dh isn't the greatest with money, likes to spend and struggles to save and doesn't seem very motivated to climb the career ladder but has been a bit pushy for me to try earn a lot.

He told me I was a selfish b*tch and that he has given me my kids, he's paid for them while iv been sat on my ass not making use of my education and that I moan about having to parent alone (he lives 4 hours drive away for work but comes home most weekends, also goes away for months at a time with work). This discussion turned to a bit of an argument so I walked away and he said that I could forget having the lie in he promised me in the morning (kids aren't great sleepers and I haven't had much sleep since he was last back 2 weeks ago. He originally said I could sleep in and try get myself feeling back to normal but now he says I'm not allowed)

Who is being unreasonable?

OP posts:
MrsJakeLovell · 21/06/2019 21:48

YABU! All family income should be joint - we equal spends after bills and savings.

KatharinaRosalie · 21/06/2019 21:48

So what exactly is he suggesting is fair?

ChngeName · 21/06/2019 21:49

Just to add, I am planning to return to work in January.

OP posts:
AragonsGirl · 21/06/2019 21:49

Him. My dh supported me financially when I was on mat leave with both of my children, and now I’m back in full time work we both pay the same amount in to the joint account and what we both have left is ours to do with as we please. We are both on similar salaries so there’s no resentment

ChngeName · 21/06/2019 21:52

He's suggesting 50/50 split after bills but I worry about that as we have 'spending money' each at the money after bills, not a lot but almost every month I end up having to use my spend for family/kids things because of overspend.

OP posts:
KatharinaRosalie · 21/06/2019 21:54

so 50-50 in his opinion means you will pay household and children's expenses from your 50, and he keeps his for himself?

MrsJakeLovell · 21/06/2019 21:54

although any man who has 'given' you kids and calls you a selfish bitch and doesn't share child care when they are home probably isn't going to make a happy home life anyway.

Also - if you don't really want to be a teacher it may not be the career for you. (Unless this is how people end up in the Senior Leadership Team?!)

KarmaStar · 21/06/2019 21:57

Hello OP
He is bvu to be abusive towards you.
About the finances,I don't know as you havent said what he wants?

Starrynights86 · 21/06/2019 21:57

It should be the same amount of spending money. I earn a lot more then my DP. We have a joint account for bills, joint account for daily expenses, joint account for savings then we each get the same amount of money in our personal accounts to spend as we see fit.

tobedtoMNandfart · 21/06/2019 21:57

Fuck the money he'd be out on his ear for saying those things if he was my DH. I understand the pressures of army life and so should he. You deserve an apology and a lie in. How much sleep has he had whilst away? Fuck loads more than you probably.

GrotchCoblin · 21/06/2019 21:57

The most troubling thing is that he sees himself as the Giver of Lie Ins, like he has the power to reward or punish you instead of sleep just being a basic need that you support each other to get. Would he also remove your food if he didn't like something you said?

RebootYourEngine · 21/06/2019 21:59

Why are you not living together?

Ghanagirl · 21/06/2019 21:59

God he sounds awful.
Your tired from parenting mostly alone and because you’ve argued he’s “not allowing you” much needed sleep.

Merryoldgoat · 21/06/2019 22:00

Well doesn’t he sound like a prize.

50/50 after bills is fair so long as you don’t have to subsidise him.

However you actual problem is his disgusting way of speaking to you and not engaging in an adult conversation.

tobedtoMNandfart · 21/06/2019 22:01

@RebootYourEngine he's in the army, which necessitates extended tune away from home

tobedtoMNandfart · 21/06/2019 22:01

FFS *time

OKBobble · 21/06/2019 22:06

Split 50/50 and then 50/50 intonhousehold expenses/kids expenses that builds up if not spent and then 50/50 personal spend

SinkGirl · 21/06/2019 22:06

Wow. The arsehole DHs are well represented tonight, eh?

He gave you kids? I think you’ll find he gave you a couple of sperm and you gave him kids, and have done all the heavy lifting in raising them, and made life choices to fit in around him.

I would leave. What a piece of shit.

ChngeName · 21/06/2019 22:15

@MrsJakeLovell im sure thats how some alt get there! I wanted a very different career (which related to my degree and I have always been very passionate about) but working hours in that field are irregular and with dh not around during the week to do school/nursery pick ups, i need a job that will fit round after school clubs etc.

@Starrynights86 I would like an arrangement like, I do think that it's fair but in mine and shs situation I feel like I'll be subbing the family expenses out of my 'spend' (as I do now) while he gets the time and money to go do what he likes, he's already been looking at some more expensive cars Confused

@tobedtoMNandfart I'd bet a lot more sleep than me

@GrotchCoblin there's not much I can do if he refuses to get up with the kids in the morning. A few months ago we had a rather big falling out and he said he was cutting me off financially (I have no other income) I got scared so I asked his mum for help, hated doing it but didn't know what else to do, me and the dcs needed money. His mum had a chat with him and it got sorted thankfully

OP posts:
Waveysnail · 21/06/2019 22:19

So you would see him skint while you had loads hmmm

The way we worked it was calculate every single bill and house hold expenses including clothes, holiday, uniforms etc and have two savings accounts - one in each persons name. We both pay a percentage of wage into bill account (we have several online savers to seperate money out too) so we are both left with same agreed spending money. Then I transfer a chunk of that into each of personal savings. DH doesnt have easy access to his - which his choice.

We both build up savings, theres a nice chunk in joint savings for household expenses and bill account pays all Bill's.

Feelingwalkedover · 21/06/2019 22:20

LTB

Waveysnail · 21/06/2019 22:20

Also protects both parties as they have individual personal savings

Waveysnail · 21/06/2019 22:21

Just read update. R you sure you want to stay with him? Money seems to be a control issue

ChngeName · 21/06/2019 22:26

@RebootYourEngine he was given a posting based in South England but with that posting he was told he would also be out of the country several months each year. We decided me and the kids wouldnt move again because we wanted them to have some stability of staying in the same place and if we had moved south, he wouldn't have even been there a lot of the time.

@Merryoldgoat I think that's the best idea, 50/50 but without me subsidising. I hate the way he talks down to me, I'm quite Linley with having moved so many times in the last few years and don't have so many friends, iv told him this and that it knocks my confidence and makes me feel pretty rubbish when he talks down to me. He's going for anger management though so hopefully it'll get better.

@SinkGirl I tried to tell him that but he just wasn't interested and I felt like I was talking to a brick wall so I just gave up

OP posts:
TigerDroveAgain · 21/06/2019 22:26

My income is 25x DH’s. Of course I don’t expect to keep all my income to myself. But if the house needs sorting or something, we agree what gets spent. He paid for the flat that paid for our house - it’s not binary economics