She makes three times more than me and her father brought it up again. What do I do?
TrueSoulMatch Editorial
We met through the site last month and everything was fine until her dad asked about my exact increment for April. He wants to know if I can match her standard of living before we talk about a ring. I earn enough for a flat on rent but not the kind of area her family lives in. Now my parents are saying I should not feel small about it but my uncle keeps calling to check my payslip.
1 answer
TrueSoulMatch Editorial
Your uncle needs to stop looking at your payslip, and you need to tell him that directly the next time he calls. When family members start treating your career progression like a family project, they create noise that makes it impossible to hear what you and the person you are actually marrying want. Tell him your finances are private between you, your parents, and your future partner. That conversation will be uncomfortable, and your uncle might be offended, but stopping the family commentary is the only way to get a clear view of the relationship itself. Regarding her father, asking for your exact increment is an intrusion, but it comes from a specific anxiety about his daughter’s physical security and lifestyle matching what she grew up with. You do not need to match her father's neighbourhood on rent today. What you do need is a direct conversation with her about how the two of you plan to manage money, rent, and future expenses once you are living together. Her father is using income as a proxy for stability, but stability is built on shared habits and joint planning, not just a salary slip. Tell her clearly that you can afford a good life together, but you cannot match her family home right now, and ask her where she stands on that gap. Her answer will tell you whether you are building a life as a team or trying to satisfy an audience.