I too want to leave a bad realationship but i am financially dependent on my husband, have a small baby, abroad so isloated from family. So I’ll try again. I have got to finish school, and with the job market as it is, I'm not going to be able to find a job that pays enough to live on AND go to school full-time at the same time. Well, my employer just happened to announce company wide layoffs when I was four months pregnant. If wisely invested, that money could have grown to more than $3 million throughout my lifetime. Making a spouse financially dependent on you is a great way to control your spouse. You may not earn as much as your spouse, but you should still be 100% vested in the outcome of your partner’s paychecks. I feel ashamed to make less than a man. Because I’m not making the big bucks in this relationship (at least for the time being), I feel like I always have to make up for it in other ways. March 15, 2016 at 6:11 pm. Does this lackadaisical approach keep most stay-at-home parents financially dependent on their spouses? If you have passion and interest you can climb the ladder quickly no matter how old you are. Yes it would cost money for him to do so, but those responsibilities could be outsourced. If my husband and I divorced, I would’ve walked away with half a million dollars. Most of us need one another to pay the bills, so we should all be equally invested in understanding our income, expenses, and all other aspects of our finances. We are interdependent. They don’t need to buy insurance, but they need to know that it has been purchased, etc. Especially, just after I made the decision to stay home. My concept of identity is tightly intertwined with money. Lets … Even fewer are married to a man who did the same. I set up an interview for a new job weeks after I received the news. “I found out in December 2015 that my oldest daughter and my husband were messing around behind my … When I asked my ever-wise husband about his opinion, he pointed out that just because one spouse might be financially dependent on the other at … My husband and I have always been equal partners in those areas of our lives and I think all partners should be. Am I letting my feminist sisters down because I’m now dependent on a man’s income? ... Porsha Stewart, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, retired NFL star, Kordell Stewart. If your paycheck goes directly to your partner, or directly into their … The issue is not just about lacking income. What do I think about depending on my husband for financial support? How much more will she need to depend on someone else to bridge the gap between the money she earns and the lifestyle she craves? Periodical Payments can be ordered at the conclusion of Divorce and Financial Matters, these are payments out of the income of your husband, this type of order is known by the … I stepped into that position after saving for over a decade. Most stay-at-home parents are aware of this problem. It could take up to a year for us to be financially independent of one another. I think that you should keep dreaming big dreams. When my husband and I got married we joint our accounts and all our expenses get paid out of this one joint account. Sit down, give the … In 2011 I left my high-paying job to become a stay-at-home mom. Even working spouses. I am so jealous of his position. Also, remember that life is long. As a writer and illustrator, Audrey creates empowering content to help women love who they are, and overcome the widespread illness of fear. I feel pretty worthless. I just didn’t realize it at the time. A fact that I am still grateful for. It’s not that I’ve ever dreamed of being wealthy—having enough to enjoy simple pleasures was always enough for me. I have to be beautiful all the time. I am also a stay at home mom, and I think you forgot to mention that while yes, I am financially dependant on my husband, he depends on me for caring for our children and our home. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is the truth. I’ve considered asking my husband if we could just live in the same house, but lead two separate lives. Many married working women are also financially dependent. We are both 100% dependent on each other. I am 100% financially dependent on my husband because I am a student with a 1 year old. Keep some money in your own name. Being financially dependent on someone can be incredibly difficult. I want to end my loveless marriage, but I am financially dependent My wife of 25 years takes me for granted and belittles me, but I don't think she would accept a split. A reader sent me a long email in response to that post. What helped my peace of mind was consistently checking our finances. What if a young girl has big dreams that cost money? I contemplated my options for months. It felt strange to give up on that suddenly. Women have come a long way from helplessly sitting in towers, waiting to be rescued. However, I couldn’t gain access to it until I reached retirement age. I think it’s valuable to read the whole article for context, but if you are short on time, here’s a brief synopsis. There is no doubt that my earnings capacity has temporarily diminished as my years outside of the workforce grow. Nurses and teachers don’t get paid as well as doctors and engineers. I was really excited to receive my degree and go on to graduate school. I feel that I need to overcompensate for my lack of financial prowess. Returning to the first line each time I reached the end of it. I thought I knew for sure what I wanted to do, and then, at the last minute, I changed my mind. I should point out that there is nothing wrong with mutual financial dependence. I no longer feel like an equal member of our team. I looked for work, but he managed to find fault with any place that offered me employment. There are also a huge number of perks. My husband works out of town and she is my only other companion. That doesn’t include proceeds from the properties we could have sold. Being financially dependent should not mean being blind to the money situation. All partners should talk openly about money. The purpose of this post was also to point out that most of us are financially dependent. It's become unhealthy for me and for my daughter for her to always be around, what should I do? My husband gives money every time because he knows single parents need financial help. When I left the workforce, I was completely aware of my marketable skills. Community Answer. We are having very different experiences. This is true whether you stay-home or continue to work. Well, at least hopefully it will be. DMCA Policy Both stay-at-home moms and working moms face financial dependence. Your story is quite similar to mine in many aspects. My skills at that time were up-to-date and in demand. They say money isn’t everything but it kind of is. Receiving isn’t my strong point. I’m not sure if I answered the question. Are You Financially Dependent On Your Spouse? Lots of us think that we’re not making enough money and that our paychecks don’t really reflect all the hard work we pour into each and every work week. (Duh!) Stay-at-home parents don’t need to invest the money, but they need to know that the money is invested. However, we’re in the new decade now. There are plenty of horror stories about parents who leave the workforce, face divorce, and have trouble finding work. Create a plan to leave your marriage – it’ll make asking for financial help easier. Yes, of course, it does. I am constantly trying out new business ideas (without any investment capital) and then failing at them because I have seven kids that are home with me 24-7, and anything added to that is apparently too hard for me to manage, so I give up and feel even worse–so defeated. Let alone reach FI alone? I don't know the answers or how to soothe the sting of being financially dependent. I used to think that it must be so easy to sit back and let other people pay your way but, to be honest, it’s really difficult. Audrey Bea uses her life-changing but difficult experiences with anorexia and depression as the catalyst and inspiration for her work. But this isn't the case with men. It’s about talking through the weight of becoming financially dependent. It may result in a paycheck someday, but it certainly not this week. I never worried about our financial future because I routinely reviewed and managed our day to day transactions, credit cards, bank accounts, and excel spreadsheets. At the time, I didn't know much about financial abuse—when one partner controls the other through money. If I were to file for divorce, would my husband have to … Could you pay all of your bills and maintain your current standard of living without help from anyone else? I have to socially affable. You Feel Anxiety All The Time While In The Relationship. Shopping sprees with my own money are so much more fun. I was offered the position along with a slightly higher salary than my previous one. But this arrangement has taught me about my own money issues, and maybe more importantly, it’s taught me about my own struggles with self-worth. I have plenty of friends who are teachers and social workers. I certainly wouldn’t have qualified for mortgages on multiple homes. Some amazing people didn’t get to work until their later years or switched careers mid-way. Now I've become my husband's financial burden. Young women today have jobs, paychecks and interesting goals. If you ask women whether they want to depend on a man to support them, most will say no. Shirley says. A lot of codependent partners feel anxiety … Every three months, canvassers from the Single Parents Food Bank come to our door, asking for donations. We also saved a ton of money despite my decision to stay home. I am as much dependent on my husband as he is dependent on me. In the world of personal finance and FIRE, you are not financially independent until you have enough income to pay for your living expenses without employment. Please don’t minimize the contributions of stay at home moms. Now, as a grown woman, it’s very strange to be financially dependent on someone else, especially when I never wanted to be dependent on even my own dad. My husband’s company and his salary eventually made up for my lost income, so I never felt the need to worry about becoming destitute or broke. I am financially dependent on my husband. “Is it hard to be financially dependent on your husband?” The same answer applies. I have been contemplating returning to work even though I have been out of the workforce for 9 years. Why do different genders receive such different messages? I am stuck here wasting my life, knowing that when the children are grown I will have nothing to show for my time spent raising them–professionally speaking. Our investments at the time totaled over $1 million. Welcome to my little corner of the Internet. The ironic thing is, if I have to be gone for a few days & Roger is at home by himself I have heard him teasingly laughed at by both sides of our family. Still, there’s something truly satisfying about saving up and treating yourself to something special. 5 TIPS TO LESSEN YOUR FINANCIAL RISK. You’re a superhero for reading all of this whining. Kids are expensive – and so is life! Thank you so much for posting this. For starters, young women are still encouraged to work in lower-paying fields. It comes when I know we can pay our bills and credit cards. Some do a better job than others of keeping their skills up-to-date and their network intact. Apr 7 2015 at 6:00 AM Photo: Getty. And if I fail at these things? Our marriage is not 25/50 or even 50/50, but rather 100/100. If a stay-at-home parent is not earning money they still need to be extremely vested in the family finances. We should teach young women about personal finance. Your husband may have a type of dependent personality. Its a very bad place to be in, i can understand. They need to know how to log in to bank accounts, where money comes from, how much insurance the employed spouse has, etc. It should mean that both partners believe in the importance of one parent staying home. She doesn’t need to work, but being financially dependent scares her,” says Susan Robinson*, an executive who lives in New Jersey. I am very independent and will make sure to be able to afford anything I want. If I didn’t have $1 million in the bank before my son was born, I’m not sure I would have left my profession. I was financially dependent on mine. With money comes power, and since my boyfriend earns most of the money, I feel like I need to acquiesce to his preferences since, let’s face it, he’s got more money. I did not walk blindly into my new role as a stay-at-home mom. I, personally, have not done an excellent job at either of those chores. It was by design and not at all by accident. Wouldn’t you? We also need to stress the importance of subjects like math and science and provide female role models to meet and aspire to become. Do men naturally gravitate to these occupations, or are they programmed from a young age to earn more money? The shame hole just gets deeper and darker. They Control All Your Income. I’m a capitalist at heart. It isn’t a lot of work and if you set up monthly meetings it’s incredibly easy to do. What's more, financial abuse is often the first sign of dating violence and domestic abuse. Is a stay-at-home mom in a worse financial place than a working one? “Does it bother you to depend on your husband’s paycheck?” It turns out that I was dependent on my husband’s money long before I ever quit my job. Send me an e-mail or visit my website holtcpafirm.com.. I’m sounding off in this article so men listen up! I was guaranteed a small pension worth roughly $1,200 per month. I am homeschooling our seven children, and I work hard at home, but I still feel awful. When something special is just given to me, I appreciate it but it does feel less valuable because I haven’t invested in it myself. Check out Relationship Hero a site where highly trained relationship coaches get you, get your situation, and help you accomplish what you want. They can also learn that saving money is just as important as earning it. There isn’t an age limit on contributing to the world at large, so don’t place the burden of a timeline on your dreams. People with dependency concerns often put all their eggs in one basket — depending on a marital or parental relationship to satisfy all their needs for socialization, recreation, and affection. I have to dress well. A stay-at-home mom will need to find employment before she can begin earning. These financial details provide critical details to my decision-making process. I work hard, so should you!” What I never realized is that these people who received financial help actually needed it. We should also ensure every girl is as comfortable and competent with a calculator as her male counterparts. You could argue that those women are less dependent on their spouses, but no doubt about it, they still need their husband’s paychecks to maintain their lifestyle. Sponsored: The best dating/relationships advice on the web. It means learning to see yourself as worthy and valuable even if you don’t make a crazy amount of money. But I would argue that stay-at-home moms are not the only ones who are financially dependent. Small snippets of time to write and focus. by Sasha King December 3, 2013 December 3, 2013 174. My confidence grows each time I log in to my bank accounts. The previous check was sizable, too, as it included the payout of unused vacation leave and other miscellaneous items. From an early age, I learned to see myself through the lense of self-sufficiency and strong work ethic. Thanks in part to the markets and my husband’s continued drive to work. You don’t want to pause your career until you feel confident about your finances. If we wish to remove the need for dependence, we must also fight for equal pay and shrink the wage gap. I think it’s also not having a say at the financial table. So it’s difficult to feel empowered if you don’t have any in your own name. I’m being sort of tongue-in-cheek with this because I actually think there’s a lot wrong with capitalism and consumerism. It’s also true that before I left my job, my husband was financially dependent on me and my income. Here’s how I’m wrapping my head around becoming financially dependent on my spouse. Hold on to those pockets of time to do something meaningful that could turn into a career down the road. I spent the first twelve years of my career earning and saving money. Not earning as much money makes me feel like I have less say in the relationship. Oh, and I have a funny podcast. What makes it worse is that I tend to be quite driven, and my husband is pretty passionless in his career pursuits and small-minded in his vision of the future. Hi, I'm Jewels. I’m not talking about instant gratification here. He provided the paychecks so I could stay at home with our children. I never felt bad for being dependent on my husband, but I did feel guilty for giving up my income. As a fellow stay-at-home parent I want you to know that I have felt the same way as you do. Terms of Service, I’m Financially Dependent On My Partner And It Sucks, You Know You’re In An Almost Relationship If You’re Sending Him These Texts, 12 Reasons You’re Single Even Though You’re A Catch, 14 Little Things That Look Like Love But Are Actually Manipulation, “Duty Dating” Is A Thing And You Need To Start Doing It ASAP, I Didn’t Understand Why I Kept Ending Up With Toxic Guys Until I Realized These Important Things, What’s Your Hottest Quality? The working woman already has a job, a career, a trajectory, and a means to make more money. I'm still uncomfortable with being financially dependent on my spouse. Required fields are marked *. After all, you can’t reach financial independence without saving and investing it. I love being gifted pretty things—or practical things, for that matter. My husband provided all the financial support. Now, I see that maybe I’ve been super prideful and arrogant when it comes to money. Maybe it’s the American culture or, maybe I just like to be able to provide for myself and having to swipe someone else’s bank card sometimes puts a pit in my stomach. It’s hard not to contribute financially and it sucks that as human beings we tie our value and worth to how much money we make. If your partner disappeared from the face of this Earth and took that bi-weekly paycheck along for the ride, could you still pay for your housing, utilities, food, vacations, and credit card bills, or would your … That is a lot of work. There are plenty of husbands who are financially dependent on their wives.). How much harder will it be for her to achieve them? 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