Household Spending, Personal Spending and the Control of Money in Marriage

Patterns of spending within a household reflect not only the sources and amount of the household's income, but also who controls money within the household. This idea is explored using data from a study of 102 married couples, who were interviewed both together and separately. Three areas of spending are examined: food and daily living expenses, leisure expenditure, and domestic rates or poll tax. The results suggest that though in absolute terms men contribute more to the domestic economy than do women, in relative terms women contribute a higher proportion of their income. Compared with men, women hold less back, both absolutely and relatively, for their personal expenditure.