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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:
BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:13

Geekof theweek, i feel that any existing responsibilities or obligations, financial or otherwise, should be taken on by both parties in a marriage, so if she was reponsible for her family then yes, it would work both ways, i would also expect that should the need arise, then they would be help out to with whatever means available.

PussinJimmyChoos · 12/05/2010 18:14

I stand corrected Although I thought majority of Asian Muslims were from Pakistan, not India..but I digress!

Its a hard one to call...I can see the feeling of duty that he has towards his parents but he also has a duty towards you and your child. If he is not living in the house and there are other sons earning money, then I see no reason for them to at least pay some of the mortgage and all of the bills - its grossly unfair for him to be out of pocket like this

I can also see why you moved out - the whole in law thing can be very tough and overbearing. A friend of mine lived with her Pakistani relatives after she got married to her DH but then she wanted to move out as she couldn't take it after a period of time - its not for everyone. Even some Asians brought up with the expectations that they will live with either their in laws or parents after marriage are moving away from this

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:14

and anyway, you want your husband to stop supporting his parents so that you can stay at home

so that isn't both playing by the cultural rules either is it?

you can't have it both ways

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:14

babydubs - like I said, why do these cultural rules only apply to parents/brothers and not wife/daughter? Like I said before, I intend to work when what DH earns is ours, not everyones.

OP posts:
Angelcat666 · 12/05/2010 18:14

It's one thing 'knowing' about the lifestyle before you move in, it's another actually experiencing it. I lived with my ex in-laws for a week once. Then I had a blazing row with his mother and didn't speak to either of them again for nearly a year so I can understand how the op couldn't live with hers.

OP, I agree with others, get a job but make sure you put in into your own account. Otherwise I can see your DH and his parents expecting you to fund them as well when it should go towards supporting your DD. If your DH says anything just tell him someone has to support your (your as in yours and his)DD and that you may just use some of it to help your family out. He can't argue with that.

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:15

BDubs why is the OP working for her child shocking? What's shocking is having to deal with all this crap when she has a young child, who she now has to leave every day, when she doesn't want to, because her H would rather support his parents than a child he willingly helped concieve. Why the hell should he get a penny

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:16

What do you want to happen here OP?

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:17

But he is supporting you. you have been home with your daughter for 14 months - he is doing his bit. he is supporting his family, and his brothers are chipping in too, doing there bit, Its still not enough, so - now they need to pay more, and you need to help out.

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:18

No thisisyesterday, I dont intend to stay at home otherwise. The only reason I'd work is if the rewards were large enough, as the cost of it is leaving my daughter in care.
At the moment, I'd be working to make up for DH's lost earnings.
And that is what I refuse to do.

OP posts:
Angelcat666 · 12/05/2010 18:18

"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"

He isn't incapable of affording it though, not if he got his priorities right.

Posters keep going on about how she knew about his culture yada yada but equally he knew and should have thought about it before getting married and having a child.

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:18

OP tell him he's right about supporting parents and your family are moving in with you. All of them. I bet it would be a whole different story then

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:19

Junglist1 - Im assuming the guy is paying the rent and fopr food and anything else that going on in the house, he is also paying for the parental home. so hes paying at home, but whenb another wage comes in he still pays at home and she keeps hers - great marriage!

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:19

Agree with Angelcat

GeekOfTheWeek · 12/05/2010 18:20

yy junglist and angelcat.

babydubs, 30k doesn't stretch that far. Surely it should be the immediate family ie wife and dd that benefit, with help to pil if finances allow.

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:20

angelcat... he did think about itt
he bought a bloody house big enough for all of them, the OP AGREED TO THIS!!!

she also agreed to letting his parents and brothers stat there while they moved out

she KNEW he wanted to, and would, support his family in their old age.

now she is whingeing because she doesn't want to have to get a job.

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:21

What I want to see happening is seeing a saleboard on that house. Preferably yesterday.

OP posts:
junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:21

But Op said they don't have enough to live on! Which they would have otherwise. 30K provides an OK life for one family, not 2

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:22

thisiswhereidrawtheline "And that is what I refuse to do."

Then you are contributing to your DD going without.

Stop whining and sort yourself out.

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:23

thisisyesterday, theres more to it than that. If you dont understand something, dont bloody make false accusations. ffs. Stressed enough as it is without you going on about me not wanting to get a job.

OP posts:
Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:23

Is the sale board going to happen? Have you asked him whether it is going to happen? What are your plans if it doesn't?

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:23

That isnt the way this culture works though, and that wont change overnight either. the op got married knowing this, they moved into a pretty standard set up with in this culture. The Op didnt like it, fine, but this guy still has a responsibility to his family, at the moment is he just about supporting everyone

"we have no money whatsoever for going out for a meal, movie or shopping,"

the op wants extras, its quite comon for wifes to work for the extras isnt it?

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:24

so you basically expect your husband to lose a good investment he has and make his parents and brothers homeless

just so you can stay at home and not work?

nice.

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:24

Im not whining. Its not my problem to sort out, or I would have done the day we moved out!
Piss off if you cant be understanding!

OP posts:
junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:24

But she doesn't want to leave her young child, and shouldn't have to if his wage was supporting them instead of the whole fucking world

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:25

well sorry, i must have misunderstood the bit where you said you refuse to get a job because you want to stay at home and look after your dd. and that in fact, it is your RIGHT to do so

silly me