I thought that getting married to Matt in a fairy tale style would be the start of a new part of my life. But my mother-in-law Linda had other ideas, which I didn’t know about. She had a clear idea of how our money should be handled, and it didn’t include giving me any power over my own.
Matt told me something secret just a few days after our wedding. He said in passing that I would be giving his mum my whole pay cheque and she would teach me how to spend it wisely. I was shocked. What did they think I was? A kid who wasn’t able to handle her own money?
It was cool of me to act like I agreed with their plan. But I was fuming behind the scenes. What I found when I looked into Linda’s bank records shocked me. Even though Linda said she was cheap, she really lived a fancy life and spent a lot of money on brand clothes and jewellery.
I knew I had to move quickly. My pay cheque was moved back out of the joint account while I started a new account in my own name. Then I talked to Matt and Linda about her spending habits and told them the truth.
There was a lot of damage. Linda threw a fit and left our flat, mad that I dared to question her. When Matt found out that his mum had been cheating on him his whole life, it was too late.
I won in the end, and my cash and personal freedom stayed the same. Matt said he was sorry a lot and promised to make things right and start over. What about Linda? She has been shut out, and her efforts to force me to give in through guilt have been met with silence.
I’ve learnt an important lesson: never underestimate the strength of a woman who knows what she’s worth. Never, ever try to take her money away from her.
