I married my high-school sweetheart. I’m 23, and he’s 25. To get a bit of a head start on life, we moved into his parent’s basement due to high rent in New York City. The arrangement is ideal for the most part, but every now and then, we run into an issue.
For example, this summer has been exceptionally hot, but my husband won’t turn the AC down for us, no matter how many times I plead with him.
Currently, I work a part-time job in a dental office and go to school part-time for dentistry. I’m making sacrifices for us now so that we can live a better life later as a couple with children. But all he ever wants to point out is the fact that we need to be grateful for not having to pay rent. He feels like not paying rent is the end all be all, and I don’t. I mean, it’s nice to be able to save, but sometimes I would rather have my own space.
Related: I Am Tired of Hearing My Best Friend Complaining About Her Boyfriend and Then Taking Him Back
My husband works a very light and fun job that is not labor-intensive whatsoever. He’s a DJ at a local club. He feels like although I work and am in school, I should still take care of all the chores for the part of the house we’re in as well. In fact, he doesn’t lift a finger to help me dust or at least keep things clean once I clean them. I’m doing a deep cleaning in preparation for a root canal I have coming up. I want our space to be spic and span while I’m recovering.
Read the full story at Atlanta Black Star.
The most pressing issue is that I cannot afford the procedure all on my own without dipping into our joint savings account. My husband thinks I should have the money to pay for the root canal because we don’t pay rent at his parents’ house. He’s constantly throwing that up in my face. It’s an arrangement that we fell into and that his parents agreed upon, figuring we’ll be having their grandchildren soon.
Should I demand that my husband pick up a few extra gigs to help pay for my root canal, or just make an executive decision and take the money I need out of our savings?
The Center gets to the heart of the lifestyle, parenting, relationships and finance conversations impacting the culture. Convene here to express and share personal and poignant points of view that arise in everyday life.
Send us your queries to [email protected] and let our readers offer some perspectives on how to navigate these conversations.
