Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My DH pays his parents mortgage while we dont have enough for food

368 replies

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 16:07

Years before we were married, my DH bought a house, in which his parents and siblings moved in. My DH was the sole payer of the mortgage although his brothers had full time jobs and avergae pay each.

About a year before we married, DH did the house up completely. He did a double extension and spent £60,000 in total on the house. He did this believing that he would live in that house forever, with his wife and his parents. We were in a relationship then although not engaged to be married when he made these choices. He just assumed that I would be OK with this lifestyle when he made such a huge financial committment to this house.

When we married, I moved in there with them, but things did not work out between me and his mother. We had constant ups and down, and finally, we moved out.

It has been a year since the move, yet my DH still pays the mortgage and all the bills are direct debits from his bank account still. His two brothers now help towards the mortgage - although I dont know how regular that is because he is very hush hush about the whole thing. Every time I try to bring up the issue, he gets very defensive and we always end up fighting. We have had many many bitter fights over this in the past year.

We are now at a point where I there is hardly any money for food in our house due to his financial contributions to the other house. It is obvious that with this situation, we have no money whatsoever for going out for a meal, movie or shopping, eveni n the cheapest of stores. So we dont, adn we spend most of our spare time either at his parents house or mine.

I dont work because I have a DD who I look after at home.

I am at breaking point now, as I am so sick and tired of being skint. The worst part of all this is however, not even that.

Its that feeling of worthlessness; because me and my DD must be of less value and worth if he has put all of his extended family before us, and has carried on doing so regardless of the financial crisis that we are in.

OP posts:
thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 17:48

Thanks dumpy, that was a very understanding and thoughtful reply.
You completely understand the situation.

I do need to sit down with him and talk. I will.

Plumm - they originally had their own property but sold up to to invest the money in a business which failed, losing all of their investments.

OP posts:
junglist1 · 12/05/2010 17:50

Yep, all money for you and your childs needs. The freedom it will give you will help a lot

PussinJimmyChoos · 12/05/2010 17:50

OP - which culture is DH from?

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 17:51

Pussin, he is Indian.

OP posts:
Plumm · 12/05/2010 17:52

if they lost all their cash what are they living off (for food, fun, etc)?

DumpyOldWoman · 12/05/2010 17:53

Also, I understand that you translate this frustration into feeling that you are worthless to him - that is almost certainly NOT the case, he just doesn't know how to make his string ong enough to prov that to you AND PILs in the only way he knows how.

Since you are looking to him for an indication of your self-worth, it might actually give you a sense of strength and independence to have an income of your own, which is not subject to the family convention. And maybe you could even draw on the strengths of an inter-dependent extended family, and ask your MIL to care for your dd a couple of days a week? No better childcare than a loving grandparent, for a couple of days. Your MIL may welcome that involvement. (or not of course!)

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 17:55

I don't think she can be any more involved TBH

PussinJimmyChoos · 12/05/2010 17:56

I suspected as such.

Its a tough one - the cultural aspect of it means a tenancy agreement or anything formal would just cause soooo much offence so I can see where you are coming from

Is your DH the eldest son? Seems to me as if the weight of the expectation to provide does often fall on the eldest son in circumstances such as these

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 17:57

I've got no sympathy for him. If he has to provide for his parents why get married and have children? How selfish!

Firawla · 12/05/2010 18:00

I'm surpised everyone is being so harsh on the OP. OP i can totally sympathise with you, if I was in your place I wouldn't be happy with it. Everyone saying all this "how couldnt you have known it will be like that" etc, I know so so many people living with inlaws when they marry thinking they will be able to make it okay, but they can't because it really does drive you crazy, and especially in Asian culture the pils can be very dominating? its not easy to live like that.. so I dont blame OP @ all for leaving, and it doesn't seem fair her DH paying everything while the brothers just pay a little towards the mortgage and no bills.
I would feel like dh should sell the house, and then they will have to all move and sort them selves out, and you could buy your own one, but practically i doubt that is going to happen as I know in that culture you just cant do that.. I suppose it is a bit heartless to the elderly parents too, but its not fair continuing as it is.
As for getting a job I see your point on that too OP, I would be so angry if i had to get a job because dh using all the money up on the other house. Is he muslim because if so then it is his duty to provide not to send his wife to work.. im guessing he is, unless other indians have the same culture too.
But OP i think majority of people have been too harsh to you and yanbu @ all imo

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:02

i feel for the guy a bit, hes got two household relying on him, no ones helping him, his brothers aren't contributing enough and his wife refuses to contribute anything, he must be really stressed out trying to do all this on 30K!

Why if you got a job would your money be yours? whats his is ours whats mine, is mine! shocking behaviour for an adult married couple.

YOU need to sort this out. YOU need to get full financial disclosure as all this mess is yours aswell. you are equally entitled to and responsible for the finances. I would see this as legal advice time. I hope your husband has a will, you and your daughter could lose everything if the worst were to happen.

Above all else it is you that needs to do something because you are being the worst affected, everyone else is happy(ish) with the situation.

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:02

junglist perhaps her DH thought she would be embracing this culture as well, as Dumpy says there are bonuses to the sort of set up where everything is pooled.

I am not sure it can work if people have such different ideas about what is expected though.

PussinJimmyChoos · 12/05/2010 18:03

He's Indian not Pakistani so doubt he is Muslim and yes while it is a duty in Islam for the man to provide for the wife and the family, there is nothing that stops the wife from working

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:05

Yes Firawla, he is muslim and so am I. That is the main reason why I dont see why I should work - it is my RIGHT to be looked afer by DH and it is my RIGHT to be with my child at home if I want that.
I just didnt mention this all along as I thought it would open up another can of worms and people would get off topic.

OP posts:
ImSoNotTelling · 12/05/2010 18:06

OP remember you don't have to work full time.

(Obvious point I know but when it's your first, it's sometimes hard to get out of the pre-kids mindset IYSWIM)

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:08

it isn't your RIGHT at all, don't be so silly.

you are a grown woman with responsibilities including a small daughter
she has a RIGHT to food on the table, and if your husband is incapable of affording this then you need to

chipmonkey · 12/05/2010 18:09

I do feel sorry for the dh, it's a terrible feeling to be torn between your parents and your spouse.

I think Gingerkirsty's suggestion is the best one. He should sit down with his brothers and work out a fair plan so they are all supporting his parents.

The difficulty is that while he comes from a culture where the set-up is traditional, he is living in a culture where it is not the norm and where mortgages and rent are too high for it to work

And surely his parents, if they are decent people would hate to think their granddaughter was going without?

GeekOfTheWeek · 12/05/2010 18:10

babydubs, it seems that whats his is ours and pil and bil and bil. Should her money be the same? Why not add her parents and siblings to the handouts.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:11

Seems to me that you want all the benefits of the traditional set up - ie your right to NOT work, eithout any of the less desirerable parts - ie supporting extended families.

Cake and eat it comes to mind!

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:11

thisisyesterday - yes it is, if you go according the argument "I have a right to support my parents". I am aware that I am speaking of a very different culture and cultural rules here, so some people who have no experience of it wont understand.

Put simply, if DH is playing by the cultural rules of supporting parents/extended family, then so will I - I have a RIGHT to be supported just as much as them!

OP posts:
GeekOfTheWeek · 12/05/2010 18:12

It isn't the parents rights either then.

traceybath · 12/05/2010 18:13

Look, the bottom line as you know is £30k doesn't support two households.

Even if the brothers contribute your DH is still going to be paying out on supporting his parents and you'll still be struggling financially.

So either DH gets a better paid job or you help out by getting a job too.

I just don't see you have much choice really.

Well I guess you could just carry on and moan and be broke/get into debt but seems a bit pointless.

GeekOfTheWeek · 12/05/2010 18:13

Agree op. If dh is playing by the cultural rules then why shouldn't you.

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:13

yes it's your right to play petty games.

the only one who loses out as far as I can see is your DD

grow up, get a job, and talk to your husband about this

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:13

Agree with BabyDubs.