“I just don’t feel like a good or worthy partner... It feels like he’s my father in ways where I’m asking permission and it doesn’t feel good because I know that we’ve gotten to where we are financially because of the both of us. Every time I ask for anything, no matter if it’s more face lotion, I have to overexplain why I need it for him to say yes. I don’t think he trusts me at all. And it makes me not trust myself.”

TAKE-AWAY: extreme financial control masked as “protection” or “traditional values” damages relationships, regardless of net worth. When one person manages all decisions and the other must ask permission for basic purchases it creates a dynamic that erodes trust, autonomy, and partnership. True financial partnership requires both people to understand the numbers, have agency over spending, and operate with generosity rather than control.

More Net Worth Stories: 

https://tenwilsons.substack.com/