I was recently having a discussion with a group of male & female friends. The discussion stemmed from the issue of divisions of roles financially, in a family setting. Actually, this started from the Bride price issue.
“I feel so powerful and great if I am the one paying the bills no matter how much my woman earns,”one of my male friends said.
“So is it fine if I am earning money but choose instead, to save all my money or invest in my own affairs?” a female friend asked.
We all looked at her with that look that says”how can you dare be that selfish girl?”
But then it hit us that it is that grey area that we all don’t want to talk about. Phrases such as ‘gold-digger’, ‘Miss Independent’ etc are used over and over again. The truth of the matter though is that men take pride in being providers but also value a woman who is supportive both emotionally and financially without hurting his ego. However, it is good to have a talk about this as a couple – remember terms and conditions apply when the commitment is made. The saying “Let’s go Dutch” is awesome and is surely a relief for the men. More women should perhaps learn this phrase. For those of us who don’t know what it means, “going Dutch” means splitting the bill in half. To get a male perspective on this topic, you can read my colleague Mitch’s post HERE
