A friend recently confided in me that his wife has decided she no longer wants to work. They're not that well off and his income won't permit the lifestyle they're use to. I had no idea what to tell him. Any suggestions?
A friend recently confided in me that his wife has decided she no longer wants to work. They're not that well off and his income won't permit the lifestyle they're use to. I had no idea what to tell him. Any suggestions?
I guess it depends how much he loves his wife and the kind of arrangement they had. I personally would have no problems with it but she certainly wouldn't be getting money from me to look after her needs. I've never believed in "looking after" someone if they are healthy can capable but some find happiness in that...
"Honey, it's Okay if you don't want to work but given our finances we'll have to change some things. First, our helper will have to go and since you're not going into the office, you can do the cooking and cleaning. And we can't afford to go on holiday every year. We should probably get rid of cable TV the land line and stick exclusively to public transit. No more fancy restaurants and I'll have to put off retirement for another 5 years (at least) but that's it's a start. Let's see how these cuts in lifestyle balance with our loss of household income for a few months. We might have to make further cuts, but we'll make do."
If she has a good reason not to work (due to health, layoff) then I don't see a problem.
Or if he makes enough to look after her. But since you stated they are not well off...
indeed insert all that what huja typed?
New handbags and shoes? History.
Facials and massages? History.
Manicures and pedicures? History.
Should do the trick.
Suggest they set out a budget - wife needs to figure out what money she needs for her stuff and then they have a plan whereby she saves enough while working so that she'll have some when not working.
Alternatively, he could try exploring why she is so unhappy at work. Perhaps she has a really awful job or a nasty boss. She may not just be looking to become a scrounging layabout. Perhaps she just needs some encouragement to reskill or find an alternative job. Perhaps move to part-time work so they get some income and adjust lifestyle a little. Perhaps she wants a kid? We can't know. I think the best advice you can give your friend is to listen to his wife and have an adult conversation about it - including finances, budgets, options, alternatives and so forth.