new very last and up to date poll!!!

We accumulated debt while I was in school, but we made it on my husband's salary...and could probably do it again if we had to and hoping no medical emergencies or vehicle breakdowns occurred. We are doing our best to continue to live on his and use mine to get out of the hole.

I do not feel I am the norm however... I work and went to school with single moms...single dads raising kids on their own and couples with children who very much depend on both incomes. I believe this is the majority of the nurses I have known.
Lisa

My husband and I are equal bread winners in our family at this time, but for the first 5 years of our marriage I was the primary breadwinner. With his MS, we can't count on him being the main income earner in the future. I get so tired of people who think that we (females) earn secondary incomes or don't need decent incomes because we have husbands who are the ones who support us.

My husband and I have been married over 2 years now. I had accumulated a lot of debt prior to our marriage--you know the usual stuff--school loans, car payments, car insurance--credit card debt aquired from 5 years at college.

I work to pay my bills and have plenty of money left over each two weeks when I get paid. We split the utilities 50/50. There is no mortgage payment as we live with his mother and this house that we live in will eventually be ours. I buy stuff like Clinique cosmetics, a lot of magazines, books, etc. I feel no need to justify my purchases to my spouse as I pay for them all myself. I do not rely on his income whatsoever. Sure, we could have a mortgage payment but don't and even if we did, I'd be able to afford it.

I can't believe how little your cops get paid! My dad was a cop and his pension is more than my full time salary! That's after a 7 year wage freeze.

RNinMay... when you have a years experience under your belt, start looking for a position that better suits your needs to be with your family..... what you said about "bad for marriage" is something to think about. I worked nites for most of the last 10 years, in hospital and as a traveler.... maybe if I'd been home more I would have seen the trouble coming.... or at least stood a chance to head some of it off.... what started out as good for the kids became bad for all. I've been the sole support for my family ever since I graduated and started working as a nurse. I did what I needed to in order to make ends meet. He had a serious injury and was unable to work. Over time he developed a serious addiction, I wasn't home and didn't see it coming. Now, I work days (ha, I started to say better hours), and I just support myself and the kiddos..... sometimes the sacrifices are not worth the extra money...... I have made more, but now I have more

Where is the option of: I am the secondary income, and yes we could get by without it?

me

My boyfriend and I split everything 50/50 pretty much, I don't expect him to pay for more since he is a guy and he doesn't expect me to pay since I make more. (he is a customs officier at the airport). I have a really good job, considering I live in Quebec and I am a somewhat "new" grad. I figure as long as we both are contributing somewhat equally, our money is all going to the same place, so if he pays the phone bill, fine.....cause I'll pay the hydro bill.

I was living on my own (while in school), when we "officially"met and became friends. I would never be able to depend on someone, I would feel guilty asking him for his bank card to buy personal "female" things or whatever.

I am proud to say that I supported myself through school with no help from anyone, no loans... nothing. When Steve and I moved in together 2 years ago, we were both in school, working each part time and we did our finances the same way as we do now.
We don't have kids yet and we're not married, but I intend to always pay my part as much as possible, luckily I will have good maternity benefits!!!

I work part time in LTC and have for 20+ years. My husband makes way more than I do, but we are happy with what we do make. We have a daughter in college that we try to help and a daughter who is a junior in high school, who will soon need college money. I work because I like caring for the elderly and the money I make keeps us out of debt if the car breaks down or we have a major expense. Because I work the evening shift (initially because we decided to spend as much time with the kids as we could - - - saved on child care expenses) I choose to work part time in order to also keep our relationship intact. We share a lot of the housework, cooking and chores.