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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I don't think I am but... (family expenses)

191 replies

KnowtheAnswer · 28/02/2026 10:04

DH and I have been married for ten years and together longer. We have young DC. I have signed the youngest up for a hobby, which is something I also do, and today I was looking to fill in the DD form. I asked him which of of two joint accounts we should use. He said neither because this hobby is nothing to do with him. I was surprised as one of the accounts is one we use for family expenses like clothes, food, days out, so that's the one he said I should use before then questioning why he is paying for this.

For context, we have a joint account for all the bills, into which we each pay 50% of the amount needed. We have a second joint account we each pay £500 into which we use for food, joint expenses, days out, meals, schools trips, anything we do together.

For further context, I am default parent as many mothers are, which means I usually book holiday club or book annual leave and then I arrange to take them out or see friends or just work with them at home if I really need to. If I take them out in the holidays or on weekends I generally pay on the basis it's, for example, a meal which I've had with them or met friends. I think there's an argument I shouldn't have to use my annual leave AND pay for entertaining the DC.

He has form for being an arse actually told me to go away and leave him alone when I tried to talk to him about this. I do believe he's unreasonable and a bit of a narcissist generally but is he right on this?

OP posts:
mrsgilfeathers · 28/02/2026 12:33

MasterBeth · 28/02/2026 11:46

Maybe don't marry someone if you suspect allowing them access to your joint finances will be dangerous?

….or don’t marry someone who will
have an affair, treat you badly after the children are born, how would you know??

MasterBeth · 28/02/2026 12:51

mrsgilfeathers · 28/02/2026 12:33

….or don’t marry someone who will
have an affair, treat you badly after the children are born, how would you know??

You don't know.

The key word was "suspect".

I think you have to go into marriage with a level of trust. To me, entering marriage and keeping your finances separate suggests you don't trust the person you are marrying and are not really all in on the relationship.

nutbrownhare15 · 28/02/2026 12:56

It's his child so everything to do with him. I wouldn't even ask. And any expenses that involve the kids like meals or days out should be going on the joint account too as you are entertaining your children and I very much doubt he's taking them out for a similar amount and paying out of his own pocket. I only pay myself for stuff I do on my own.

Pallisers · 28/02/2026 12:58

PinkyFlamingo · 28/02/2026 10:10

These type of posts pop up all the time. I always think why do women stay with these mean arses?

I always think yeah I bet that man is smoking hot in bed - Not.

Happyjoe · 28/02/2026 13:03

KnowtheAnswer · 28/02/2026 10:42

He just said it's "nothing to do with him" and he doesn't agree but he will say that even if I buy them clothes sometimes... of course he never thinks to buy them clothes!

They are his children, of course they have everything to do with him.

mrsgilfeathers · 28/02/2026 13:16

MasterBeth · 28/02/2026 12:51

You don't know.

The key word was "suspect".

I think you have to go into marriage with a level of trust. To me, entering marriage and keeping your finances separate suggests you don't trust the person you are marrying and are not really all in on the relationship.

…and yet so many women on here want to leave terrible marriages but they have no money of their own 🤷🏼‍♀️ You see it time and time again. I’m, thankfully, in a very happy marriage, however, if it all went pear-shaped tomorrow, I could leave in a heartbeat! I have a considerable amount of savings of my own.

No mistrust, but I always managed my finances before I married and continued to do so afterwards. It works for us having been married for 34 years.

Purplecatshopaholic · 28/02/2026 13:23

Of course he isn’t right and is clearly an arse. Why are you still with this dick?

Insidesains · 28/02/2026 13:31

@KnowtheAnswer wont be back. The marriage will stagger on. No one happy.

ScribblingPixie · 28/02/2026 13:33

Why give him the power over decision making like this? Don't ask him, just take it from the appropriate account and if he questions whether his children's activities have anything to do with him, tell him not to be ridiculous.

Insidesains · 28/02/2026 13:35

Montink · 28/02/2026 11:32

I read it that their made the decision? That would piss me right off.

and I wouldn’t be paying for it if I hadn’t been involved in the choosing of said hobby.

It would piss you right off @Montink and you would refuse to financially contribute even if

  1. the child absolutely loved said activity
  2. it didn’t inconvenience you in the slightest
budgiegirl · 28/02/2026 13:44

If you have one of the pair that's a total spendthrift, wasting family resources on unnecessaries, then separating finances seem more sensible

Then you set budgets, agree reasonable amounts to spend on different things, allow a set amount of 'fun money' each - if one chooses to spend it, and one chooses to save it, then that's up to them. But if you are married to someone who consistently wastes family resources, and isn't willing to address it, then you have bigger problems than just a difference in spending attitudes.

Insidesains · 28/02/2026 13:50

mrsgilfeathers · 28/02/2026 13:16

…and yet so many women on here want to leave terrible marriages but they have no money of their own 🤷🏼‍♀️ You see it time and time again. I’m, thankfully, in a very happy marriage, however, if it all went pear-shaped tomorrow, I could leave in a heartbeat! I have a considerable amount of savings of my own.

No mistrust, but I always managed my finances before I married and continued to do so afterwards. It works for us having been married for 34 years.

Do you have children @mrsgilfeathers ?

illbetheresunorrain · 28/02/2026 13:52

I observed this...it always happen in marriages where he married her with secret begrudging that visually she is not the one for him and his sexual desire is not that fulfilled but life took over, kids came and he is there now, living with her. But his heart is not fully for her....so he comes with this financial deals to try and not give her the whole amount of finance, love and respect she and the children deserve, because you see, God made her body not that amazing for his appetites

illbetheresunorrain · 28/02/2026 13:53

And based on the previous post, OP, is this a way to live? To just bear his grudges and knowing you are just tolerated....

beAsensible1 · 28/02/2026 13:58

Just choose one of the accounts. They’re joint and it’s for your shared child. Why are you acting like he’s your boss.

Insidesains · 28/02/2026 14:04

illbetheresunorrain · 28/02/2026 13:52

I observed this...it always happen in marriages where he married her with secret begrudging that visually she is not the one for him and his sexual desire is not that fulfilled but life took over, kids came and he is there now, living with her. But his heart is not fully for her....so he comes with this financial deals to try and not give her the whole amount of finance, love and respect she and the children deserve, because you see, God made her body not that amazing for his appetites

You “observed this”

You sound like you were right in the thick of it to know this level of detail @illbetheresunorrain ?!

ElfAndSafetyBored · 28/02/2026 14:06

It clearly comes out if your second joint account. That is what that account is for. I’m not sure why you even asked him.

However, my husband takes my son to the football and he pays for his ticket, we share the cost of our son’s. But that’s because the football is as much for my husband and he’d be going anyway.

If my husband took him to a theme park, I’d go halves with him because he hates theme parks so that would solely be for my son.

So I think it depends a bit.

Montink · 28/02/2026 14:06

Insidesains · 28/02/2026 13:35

It would piss you right off @Montink and you would refuse to financially contribute even if

  1. the child absolutely loved said activity
  2. it didn’t inconvenience you in the slightest

We don’t know that it doesn’t inconvenience him in the slightest.

i would want to be consulted. How many days a week and what times. How is that going to be facilitated going forward. What are the total costs and does the kids fun budget have slack for that. Are the other children in the family being offered an activity of similar or equivalent value (money and enjoyment value).

yes I would be pissed off if my partner did this without talking to me.

KnowtheAnswer · 28/02/2026 14:12

Thanks for the replies.

To be clear, I wasn't asking if it could come from joint money, I was asking which of the joint accounts I should put down. It's not a household bill so wouldn't normally be the bills account but is a direct debit and we don't have any of those on the other fs
ily account. I didn't think he'd object.

He has since said it's fine and he's just annoyed about other things. Funny thing about him is he knows there are things bothering me but doesn't care but if something's bothering him be expects me to listen.

OP posts:
CharlieEffie · 28/02/2026 14:16

KnowtheAnswer · 28/02/2026 10:42

He just said it's "nothing to do with him" and he doesn't agree but he will say that even if I buy them clothes sometimes... of course he never thinks to buy them clothes!

There his children so it has everything to do with him. What a strange mindset to have! Just take it out of joint expense account

Insidesains · 28/02/2026 14:18

KnowtheAnswer · 28/02/2026 14:12

Thanks for the replies.

To be clear, I wasn't asking if it could come from joint money, I was asking which of the joint accounts I should put down. It's not a household bill so wouldn't normally be the bills account but is a direct debit and we don't have any of those on the other fs
ily account. I didn't think he'd object.

He has since said it's fine and he's just annoyed about other things. Funny thing about him is he knows there are things bothering me but doesn't care but if something's bothering him be expects me to listen.

So will all be swept under the carpet
and this family will continue to limp along, all members unhappy

Uticary · 28/02/2026 14:20

Poor you and children with such a nasty arsehole for a father.
Is this really the life you want for you and them?

bigboykitty · 28/02/2026 14:30

Montink · 28/02/2026 14:06

We don’t know that it doesn’t inconvenience him in the slightest.

i would want to be consulted. How many days a week and what times. How is that going to be facilitated going forward. What are the total costs and does the kids fun budget have slack for that. Are the other children in the family being offered an activity of similar or equivalent value (money and enjoyment value).

yes I would be pissed off if my partner did this without talking to me.

I'm not sure why you're so determined to split hairs. He knows what's involved and was happy with it until the issue of payment cropped up, when he said it's nothing to do with him. OP does all the work in relation to the hobby. He's just a stingy, moaning prick.

Montink · 28/02/2026 14:39

bigboykitty · 28/02/2026 14:30

I'm not sure why you're so determined to split hairs. He knows what's involved and was happy with it until the issue of payment cropped up, when he said it's nothing to do with him. OP does all the work in relation to the hobby. He's just a stingy, moaning prick.

I’m not splitting hairs. I wouldn’t like it. I read it as op didn’t discuss with him just started going.

thestudio · 28/02/2026 14:40

OP, this man is an exploitative misogynist shit.

Start charging him for all that default parenting. What a prick.