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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel like this

143 replies

giraffes2021 · 09/11/2021 23:29

So me and DP been together 8 years 2 young children

I now work 3 days a week so he's main earner, not married, I pay nursery which is like £800 for 2 kids and my own bills such as car insurance fuel etc DP pays for mortgage etc.
Obviously he has a lot more disposable income than me, he's a bit more sensible than me always has money in the bank he's always been the higher earner. If I need money I ask etc and he'll give me money but it's just a crappy feeling always having to ask or say I need money for x y z or just not being in a position to be able to put a bit of cash aside. Obviously my income has dropped as I only do 3 days - isn't it just a shitty feeling as a woman or am I overthinking ?

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 10/11/2021 23:11

@giraffes2021

I do really only pay for my nursery and my own bills like car tax etc and he pays the rest mortgage gas electric council tax etc so I guess that's fair tho?
What spare money for yourselves do you each have every month?
Nanny0gg · 10/11/2021 23:14

@Valeriane

It comes around again and again because women are taught to get a husband and have children and once they've done that to be content with their lot.
They'd be a lot better off if they had a husband and not a partner! Far more rights against what they generally give up
MumW · 10/11/2021 23:34

a registry office how romantic

Never mind romance, just do it.

GrandDuchessRomanov · 10/11/2021 23:49

How demeaning having to "ask" for money like a kept woman, even worse is that he is perfectly happy to let you be in that position.

Twat.

backtolifebacktoreality · 11/11/2021 00:06

[quote giraffes2021]@Beautifulday345 it's more like around 3.5k a month when we add it all up that's nursery being 800 a month at least for 2 then food house cars etc.

@Flouts1 well we've spoken tonight I've told him how I feel he said he completely understands, said we will look into getting wills drawn up/joint account - thing is I want to get married and I think he does too (just not asked yet ha) and I would like it to be a nice small affair we just can't afford that right now and I know people saying just go and get married but I'm not going to force him to marry me right now incase he fucks off as it's nice to be asked!
[/quote]
A friend and her partner both got each other named in their wills. He then changed his will without telling her.

Also a will is only beneficial in the event of death.

You need to be on the house deeds or be married to protect you in other scenarios, ie if you separated.

I'm not normally this depressing!

Nanny0gg · 11/11/2021 00:19

[quote giraffes2021]@Beautifulday345 it's more like around 3.5k a month when we add it all up that's nursery being 800 a month at least for 2 then food house cars etc.

@Flouts1 well we've spoken tonight I've told him how I feel he said he completely understands, said we will look into getting wills drawn up/joint account - thing is I want to get married and I think he does too (just not asked yet ha) and I would like it to be a nice small affair we just can't afford that right now and I know people saying just go and get married but I'm not going to force him to marry me right now incase he fucks off as it's nice to be asked!
[/quote]
How come they 'completely understand' when it's spelt out but they've never noticed before that they have more money than their partner? (even though the partner keeps having to ask because they don't have enough)

Graphista · 11/11/2021 05:55

But then again if I needed money he would give it me

Really?

What if you needed it because he's become incapacitated?

What if you needed it to pay for his funeral?

Very foolish to be unmarried and not working full time particularly while there is a clear imbalance here in who has what money.

You are a family, resources should be pooled and everything fair and equal.

Does what he pays our monthly equate to the proportion of money he has available to him and does what you pay out equate to your income?

Do you have equal downtime? Just because you're not in PAID work full time doesn't mean you aren't working and don't need respite at times

Does he do chores?

You don't have to answer here/me but I think you need to consider these things yourself

Why aren't you married ?

@Peanutmnm I was thinking along those lines too this guys taking piss isn't he?

When I was married sometimes I was working sometimes not, sometimes I earned more sometimes he did.

Throughout the marriage we had a joint current account into which all income went and we worked out a budget and each had "pocket money" that was money set aside for personal spending as we wished.

ONLY having the joint account I regretted when we split as he emptied the accounts (we had a savings account too)

BUT because we were married he had to repay half that money as part of the divorce, if we hadn't been married I wouldn't have seen that money again nor my share of the car, computer, tv etc

A relative of mine was a sahm unmarried when her partner very unexpectedly died. Her "in laws" who she had previously thought she got along with took EVERYTHING inc the family home which was in his name. No will etc they basically cleared her out - legally

She had to return to full time work and put the kids in childcare and move home while they were all grieving terribly. The relationship with the in laws never recovered so the kids effectively lost grandparents and aunts and uncles etc too it was awful

Being unmarried is rarely a good idea where young children are involved.

so I guess that's fair tho?

Have you ever sat and written it out in black and white? Done a spreadsheet? I think that could be very illuminating for you.

If he's self employed he has to do a tax return right? So his annual income is listed there less tax - what is that averaged out weekly or monthly?

is that not assuming all relationships are going to fail tho?

1 unmarried couples are a lot more likely to separate anyway

2 the relationship WILL end at some point whether by separation or death. Death isn't always in old age, accidents and premature natural causes happen more than people like to think about.

Your name isn't on the house? What happens with the house if he becomes incapacitated and can't pay the mortgage? What about if he dies? What about if he has an affair and wants you out and ow in? You haven't a leg to stand on in ANY of these scenarios while you're unmarried. Not even if he leaves a will

What happened to the money from the sale of your house? Did it go into HIS house? Did it go on raising your joint kids?

No equity? Why did you sell?

how do I need to protect myself if something happens to him? Would it not just go to the children ?

No that's not how it works.

Plus if he is incapacitated and not dead it's REALLY complicated. And that's the most expensive and trying situation of all.

As he's self employed he really ought to have good critical illness and emergency care coverage. Good life assurance and an excellent will...

And even then there's no guarantees while you're unmarried as his parents and siblings can challenge

but I know that if I said I wanted to go on it he wouldn't have any issues then do that ASAP

Being married needn't mean a "wedding" but the marriage - even done at a registry office - affords you a lot of legal and financial protections you just don't have while unmarried

Legally home wise you have no more rights than a lodger at the moment

The time for tradition re waiting to be proposed to has LONG passed op.

Frankly were he a genuinely decent man he'd have sorted everything inc a proposal long ago.

You are not some innocent virgin, you have kids to protect now

MoreStuffingMatron · 11/11/2021 06:04

Forget about the wedding for now.
Chances are it will never happen as he’s got everything he wants under your current arrangements (children, free live in housekeeper, nanny and bedfellow) who subsidises him by covering her own and the children’s living costs! Best of all he has no financial or legal commitment whatsoever to this super person and can turn her and his children out of the house any time he changes his mind.

So strike while the iron is hot.

  1. Today make a solicitors appointment for wills
  2. Tell him the same appointment is to have you named as joint tenant on the house.
  1. Download the application form for a joint account, complete and submit.

If he refuses to do any of steps 1-3 make your plans to go full time, reduce your contribution to 28% of child care bills and start saving for a deposit for your own house.

Valeriane · 11/11/2021 06:19

What I dont understand is if you werent going to buy a house with him, and if there was no money to be gained from selling your house, then why did you sell it? You could have rented it out knowing that if your relationship fell through you would have that

billy1966 · 11/11/2021 07:57

@Valeriane

What I dont understand is if you werent going to buy a house with him, and if there was no money to be gained from selling your house, then why did you sell it? You could have rented it out knowing that if your relationship fell through you would have that
This.

Also he suddenly gets it?
🙄

Oh please.

So many men pay the morgage and pension while the dim little wimmin pay for everything else.

When not married they walk away with EVERYTHING when in fact they were nothing but FREELOADERs for the whole relationship whilst THEY paid for THEIR asset.

There is ALWAYS some reason not to put tge Woman's name on the morgage.🙄

Beautifulday345 · 11/11/2021 08:14

So your income is approx £1100 and his £3000? Bills are £3500 of which you pay £800, so really neither of you have much left, sounds like it would benefit him to pool all money anyway 🤷‍♀️

Beautifulday345 · 11/11/2021 08:17

Or it is just the case he is managing his better in which case maybe it is better to be seperate as you could both have no money ( speaking from experience as I am the spender too! ), the house is definitely an issue though I’d look at that first

MumW · 11/11/2021 08:47

I think he does too (just not asked yet ha) and I would like it to be a nice small affair we just can't afford that right now and I know people saying just go and get married but I'm not going to force him to marry me right now incase he fucks off as it's nice to be asked!

Tradition says that the man should do the asking but it also said that women should be married before betting pregnant with men being forced into shot gun marriage. It's quite right that women should no longer be vilified for being single mothers but the law hasn't caught up leaving women with children and unmarried to the father vunerable.

Insistence on still requiring the man to ask is a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water - if you'll pardon the pun.

I get the 'don't want to force him' but why don't you just ask and marry at the registry office with 2 witnesses. You don't need to tell anyone if you don't want to. You can have a big announcement and party when you can afford it.
Look into the costs of putting you on the deeds of the house, if you aren't going to get married, it'll be money well spent for you and your children's security.

Animood · 11/11/2021 10:03

Everyone else has said it all.

Just wanted to express my rage that women are fucked over again and again.

choli · 11/11/2021 10:15

Just wanted to express my rage that women are fucked over again and again.
I am more angry that despite the information being out there, women still make choices that fuck them over. You can't fix stupid.

WTF475878237NC · 11/11/2021 10:37

It isn't stupid. Women are not taught about the need to protect their finances in school, therefore it is down to the privilege of having parents who can teach this, or watching others suffer or learning from bitter experience.

DrManhattan · 11/11/2021 10:38

You should both pay half mortgage and half childcare?

Cocomarine · 11/11/2021 14:20

@WTF475878237NC

It isn't stupid. Women are not taught about the need to protect their finances in school, therefore it is down to the privilege of having parents who can teach this, or watching others suffer or learning from bitter experience.
That doesn’t make sense. Men aren’t taught at school to keep women off deeds and mortgages… but many manage that anyway. You don’t need school or parents to tell you not to make yourself vulnerable. If you’re the kind of person who can’t work that out for themselves - or can work it out but chooses to ignore it - then you’re the kind of person that would ignore your teachers and parents, or doesn’t think it would apply to them anyway.
Merryoldgoat · 11/11/2021 15:09

@choli

I agree. I told my DH within about two weeks of going out that I wouldn’t have children without being married and that I wasn’t interested in being a stay at home parent.

He didn’t really care but he loved and wanted me. So we got married without some daft proposal, had a very nice but simple wedding, and then had children.

We had a joint account from the second we started saving to move in together and once I was on maternity leave we pooled money.

He’s never once asked me what I’ve spent my money on, never even vaguely cared.

I’ve never had to ask him for money once and he can’t even access the joint account online (because he can’t be arsed).

giraffes2021 · 11/11/2021 15:18

@choli lovely thanks for your kind response

OP posts:
flirtygirl · 11/11/2021 16:22

Animood
Everyone else has said it all.

Just wanted to express my rage that women are fucked over again and again.

choli
Just wanted to express my rage that women are fucked over again and again.
I am more angry that despite the information being out there, women still make choices that fuck them over. You can't fix stupid.

The op and so many women are truly willing to sleepwalk and get fucked over. They are naive and they are blind and they are stupid but sorry op, for heaven's sake, wake the fuck up. If he willing to go registry office then go next week.

It will quickly solve some of problems. Have your wedding some other time. Also still make the wills as being married does not stop your husband remarrying when you die and your children getting nothing.

Why the fuck does Google exist when people seem incapable of googliing even the basic info.

Don't pay more that your share to your detriment in a relationship.
Don't give yourself the same status like a passerby on the street in your relationship and don't have kids if you are not willing to take a cursory glance at Google and at least do something to protect them.

flirtygirl · 11/11/2021 16:24

Please ignore my typos. Seeing yet another of these threads has made me see red...

wineandroses1 · 11/11/2021 17:31

Graphista’s got it spot on. Brilliant post.

My parents, back in the 60s, pooled their money and both had equal access to income. I and my 4 siblings and our husbands/wives did the same. I’ve been married for 25 years, and from the get-go we’ve pooled all money. I took maternity leave but went back to work within months. Husband and I had fairly similar salaries but then I got jobs that paid much more than his did. Later, his salary passed mine and it was all good. He and I have never queried who pays for what - we pay all bills and anything we individually want to buy we do, with no questions asked. It requires both of us to be open, honest and uncritical.

I’m very lucky to have had brilliant parents who thought all income was shared and that we all ended up with partners who agreed.

wineandroses1 · 11/11/2021 17:32

Op book the registry office.

Bonbon21 · 11/11/2021 17:43

Yep... book the registry office..
Have the party when you can afford it....
Its the bit of paper thats important for your future security and that of your kids... not the dress or the cake!!