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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:
Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:25

thisiswhereidrawtheline "Its not my problem to sort out"

Are you 10?

Why did you post if you just wanted everyone to sympathise?

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:26

What if he doesnt want a stay at home wife - why are her desires so much more umportant than anyone elses!

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:27

Why should she work with a young child because of selfish bastards who threw their own money down the drain? She has to work when she shouldn't have to. What kind of set up is it where a wife has to get a job just to see a film at the cinema

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:27

so junglist, despite his parents being reliant on him, and thata being the case before they were even married, the op is right to expect him to make them homeless and refuse to help them now?

gosh how lovely

if you had previous financial responsibilities before you got married would you think it ok for your partner to then insist you got rid of them to suit them??
cos i certainly wouldn't

why is his family less important than her?

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:27

junglist should, could, would doesn't matter.

The OP can't make anyone else do anything all she can do is decide what she is prepared to accept/put up with. It doesn't sound like her DH is going to change the arrangements.

You have to deal with the world how it is not how you would like it to be.

traceybath · 12/05/2010 18:28

Well he's clearly not going to make his parents homeless is he?

So you have 2 choices - leave him or get a job.

Well thats if you want to eat that is.

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:28

Oh do you know what, get your job, divorce him and get something off him FFS. Let him inflict this on someone else I don't know how you can bear to look at him TBH

bloss · 12/05/2010 18:28

Message withdrawn

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:30

They are nuts and don't give a shit about the OP or the child. Why are they less important? Er, he got married and had a child! If your H's tried this you'd be frothing too

GeekOfTheWeek · 12/05/2010 18:30

Forgive me if i am wrong but if the culture dictates that the dh should provide for the il's and dw and dc's then why should the dw get a job?

chipmonkey · 12/05/2010 18:30

Don't post in AIBU if you want everyone to agree with you!

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:31

because they can't afford to live otherwise that's why!

it's all well and good saying "well in my culture this is how we do it..."

doesn't put food on the table does it

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 18:32

babydubs, morloth and thisisyesterday - imagine 3/4 of your DH's earnings going to his family. Just take a minute and imagine yourself in that situation before being so fucking judgemental!

OP posts:
Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:32

Culture is nice, regular meals are better.

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:33

thisiswhereidrawtheline

i wouldn't have married someone who was giving 3/4 of his earnings to his parents/family

OR, i would have got it sorted properly before moving out of the house

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:33

It wouldn't happen because he would no longer be my DH.

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:34

Lets be honest, in certain cultures the mother dictates and is above everything, including wives and children. My ex MIL tried it but luckily I was strong willed enough to put her in her place. OP, you and your child are worth more than this

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:35

Having to go and get a job to afford a cinema ticket!!! This thread is bad for my health

BabyDubsEverywhere · 12/05/2010 18:36

HE IS SUPPORTING HIS WIFE AND CHILD he is also supporting his parental home, in the OP the op stated that she wants the extras in life - well this guy is just about supporting everyone with a little help from his brothers, and will have a nice little nest egg for his family in the future, he cant afford the extras as well, you can get a job, or he could get a paper round i spose!

LadyBiscuit · 12/05/2010 18:36

I appreciate that the ILs are retired but do they contribute nothing to the house running? My nan is in her 80s, doesn't go out much and just has her state pension and she is very comfortably off because she never spends any money. I presume also if the brothers are finishing their studies, they are quite young. As must the in-laws be. Your DH might carry on supporting them for another 20 years!

I do think your 'it's my right for my husband to support me' is slightly absurd. It may be but not at your daughter's expense.

Angelcat666 · 12/05/2010 18:36

I know she agreed but thinking you can make it work and the actual reality are two different things. If I'd had to live with my in-laws longer than the week I did I'd have been suicidal.

As to agreeing to let the parents stay there while the op and her dh moved out, the dh made it perfectly clear that the other way around was not an option.

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 18:39

Good idea, tell him if he wants to support extra people he can get another job himself, then at least his real family don't have to beg for a cinema ticket. Bet he won't though, it's you that has to accept everything while him and his freeloaders family get what they want

GeekOfTheWeek · 12/05/2010 18:41

Exactly.

Regular meals are better so why is he still paying for pil.

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 18:41

why are his parents not his real family?

are you this nice to your own mum junglist?

Morloth · 12/05/2010 18:41

She doesn't have to accept it, she is not powerless.