THE vast majority of men are of the opinion that the household budget does not require more than a certain amount for basic needs: the groceries and day-to-day requirements of the children and their school. But women believe that they need much more than their husbands give them. This difference in points of view creates a conflict of sorts between some couples with regard to the family budget; the wife insists on asking for more for the purchase of certain things that she deems as necessities while the husband sticks only to the basic requirements. Nuha Abdul Kareem, a mother of four, is adamant she needs more money. “The daily, weekly or monthly requirements of a household do not constitute just the groceries and the requirements of the children and their schools. There are the visits of relatives and friends, the weekly outing for the children for entertainment, to theme parks or for shopping on the weekend. In addition, the lady of the house needs some amount as a reserve to cover for any unforeseen expenses. Wives therefore urgently need a raise to cope with these growing needs,” she said. She indicates that there is always disagreement with her husband over the details of how the amount was spent. Her husband believes that the day-to-day expenses are for nothing more than groceries, the children and the school. Wedad Al-Harbi, another housewife, says that her husband gives her SR1,000 at the end of each month for household expenses. She says that this amount is no longer sufficient because their growing children have greater needs. In addition, prices have gone up. She wants an increase in the amount. However, her husband is not convinced and insists on not increasing it. Abdul Aziz Al-Aseeri, the head of a family, says: “The household budget and the related expenses require a clear understanding between spouses. If a wife does not realize the limits of her husband's income and his material obligations, she demands more without considering [his] state of affairs”. He indicates that he, as a husband, allocates a certain amount for his wife's day-to-day expenses, but that he does respond to her requests for more money. Khalaf Al-Shamari, a social scientist, says: “The question of the household expenses and budget, (whether) for a day or a week or a month, requires advance planning on the part of the spouses, so that there is no disagreement between them on details.” This planning, in itself, “creates a family atmosphere” that helps with mutual understanding. He says spouses should meet on a specific day every weekend or at the end of every month and agree on the amount that the household will need during the specified period. They need to write down the details of how this amount will be spent. In this way, the wife will not have insufficient money and the husband will not need to ask where and how the amount was spent. He adds that husbands traditionally handled the financial affairs of the family without consulting the wife, but this situation has changed these days. It has become essential for the wife and husband to share such tasks. He pointed out that the marital partnership is not limited only to verbal or social partnership or the children; but is a partnership of life, with the spouses sharing all aspects of it between them. This article was first published in Al Watan on March 15.
