Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DH and money

112 replies

QueenOfTheHuns · 06/05/2017 19:46

Have name changed for this - could do with some advice or just to get this all off my chest, sorry if it ends up being a long one!

DH and I have been together 10 years, married for 4 months. No children yet.
Now he's always been a bit shit with money in that his parents would pay for everything and he never had to take responsibility for bills etc. When he moved in with me I was living with a friend paying half of the bills and DH would give me half of that back in cash which was the easiest thing for us at the time. We've always sort of plotted along like this, however DH then started to get a bit slack with paying me back on time. We would row about it every now and again and then he would catch up.
I do earn slightly more than him - maybe £300 more a month on average - but I have a car to pay for (he doesn't drive).
When we decided to get married I talked about joint accounts etc and he wasn't keen - but I was fine with it because we both earn our own money and spend it as we like. But he has become a lot worse at paying me back on time and I'm starting to reach the end of my tether.
He says he genuinely forgets and doesn't always go near a cash machine. He refuses to get online banking, god knows why. I suggested he set up a direct debit into my account for every payday and then it's paid and I don't have to keep asking - I'm driving myself mad nagging about it all the time! - but he doesn't want to do that. He still gets his bank statements sent to his mum's house and when we're there he takes them into another room to open. I've asked to see them, he says it's nothing to do with me. I've told him it's not normal to keep finances so separate when you're married and I'm worried he's either skint and hiding it or he's got loads of money and hiding it - I don't know what's worse! He says I don't need to be worried and he just forgets to give me the money.
My outgoings are over £1000 a month including my car, phone bill etc. He's supposed to pay me back £160 a week - I'm currently getting £150 every few weeks so he's just getting more and more behind. He owes me money from rent paid almost a year ago! Meanwhile I'm keeping up to date with bills etc because if I didn't I'd have nowhere to live, no nice things etc. In a way I feel I'm protecting myself financially by being able to provide for myself but also I've shot myself in the foot by letting it get this far.
I'm now scared to start a family with him because I know it would be even worse. Im worried about our future and I feel like he could easily leave me high and dry if he decided he didn't want to be with me one day. This does not shock him into action - he says he's going to try harder to be better but at this point I've heard it all before and so the cycle goes on.
The thing is, he's otherwise a good guy and I love him otherwise I wouldn't have married him. Whenever I've read similar threads in the past I always imagine stroppy teenager type men who sit on their arses all day playing video games - he isn't like that at all. I just don't know where to go from here! Any advice? (That is if you've made it this far Grin)

OP posts:
category12 · 07/05/2017 18:21

I'd give it a good while before thinking about TTC. Words aren't enough, you need to see those changes stick.

nachogazpacho · 07/05/2017 18:30

A joint bank account will give him access to your funds too. He had forced you to pay the rent and bills which is financial abuse imo. Give him access to your money too and you'll be in even more debt. Think about it this way. If you stopped paying your share and your dh asked you for it and you kept giving them excuses, then they said enough is enough would you act like a wounded puppy or would you be embarrassed and extremely apologetic?

nachogazpacho · 07/05/2017 18:33

What I'm saying is he is not behaving in a kind way making you worry about all the bills and not caring or acknowledging how horrible this is for you. If my ex is anything to go by he is stringing you along with false promises.there will always be an excuse add to why he hasn't got the money to pay. A favourite one was ' I've not been paid ' another is 'i had to pay out for xyz'.

Joysmum · 07/05/2017 19:29

We are going to the bank on our next day off to sort out a joint account for bills

Dreadful idea but good luck.

EatsLeavesAndShit · 07/05/2017 19:36

Did he admit that he had been a complete weirdo OP? Does he feel ashamed that you had to work overtime to pay for the honeymoon? Is he going to set up internet banking to make moving money around easier? Otherwise I can foresee "oh the direct debit bounced this month and I can't get to the bank to sort it out" Even my grandma has internet banking, it's so much easier.

I'm glad you feel positive, but please don't tie yourself to him (more!) yet. Let him prove himself first.

AyeAmarok · 07/05/2017 19:53

Good luck OP.

I think that he should be responsible for putting all the money into this joint account for a period of time, paying all your joint bills himself. It's high time he stepped up financially.

You can build an emergency fund with your money.

MrsJamesMathews · 07/05/2017 20:13

I've just been sucked in by his lies yet again No, not at all.

If he is generally very useless with money there is nothing wrong with you dealing with all the budgeting side and him paying you cash, if that's what works for you both. Its the secrets and the piss-taking thieving that's the problem.

Well done for saying your piece.

See how it goes and perhaps consider children in the New Year if he's continued to do as he promised.

Ellisandra · 07/05/2017 21:40

I'm glad you spoke to him. Easy for us to be cynical... the wounded puppy shit is just offensive as it's not the first time you've had to tell him!

I don't understand the payment though. You said in your OP that his share was £160 week. Now you're saying that would repay the arrears as soon as August, and then create excess to pay back his parents and then start saving.

How is that paying back anything,

NoSquirrels · 07/05/2017 21:40

Great stuff - well done. You needed to do it, and you have.

Re joint account for bills. My joint account with my DH is just for bills - neither of us are allowed to draw cash off that account or transfer money out. The bank issued the cash cards but we just keep them unsigned and don't remember the PINs. I have access via internet banking but my DH has never bothered to set it up - I manage the account. This is an easy way to share things financially without getting into difficult territory with the 'bills' account getting abused.

Squishedstrawberry4 · 07/05/2017 22:09

It sounds positive. However wait and see if he follows through with shared bank account and paying back. Be a bit reserved until he has proven himself. It will take time.

QueenOfTheHuns · 07/05/2017 22:11

@Ellisandra - our rent has decreased since we moved house so his half of bills that don't include my car or our own phone bills is just over £460 a month, and he owes me just under £700. So once he's up to date in August his share of the bills becomes about £115 a week so that extra £45 Will first go to his parents and once they are paid it will go in our savings. Does that make sense?

@NoSquirrels - that's what I'm on about - an account that we pay money into to cover the bills. So he doesn't have access to the rest of my wages and I manage the savings account.

He may well come up with excuses but I've made it clear the first time he lets me down we are done.

OP posts:
Ellisandra · 07/05/2017 22:23

Perfect sense! Sorry, I was just feeling a bit protective that he'd wounded puppy-ed you into taking less, as you'd mentioned the £160 before!

I'm glad it sounds positive now, but I would say zero tolerance on future bullshit. And... sorry to be negative Blush but even if he's paying his share, you clearly have different attitudes to money. Research always shows that that is a massive factor in marriage failure... so - worth making sure you both stay aligned on financial strategy Smile

New posts on this thread. Refresh page