What is Yours is Yours...Hey What About Me?

What is the proper protocol when one partner makes more money than the other? Is it supposed to be 50/50....or every man for them self?

According to Money Magazine women are rapidly becoming the breadwinners in the family. I say hooray, but the studies also show that these women are having to battle each day somewhat denying their success. What gives?

"Women who earn more tend to behave very differently from men who are the breadwinners according to relationships claims money expert Professor Jan Pahl."

I am not one of these women--YET. Numnuts makes substantially more than I do. I used to be OK with that---now it is my mission to surpass him. But when I do---he will want for nothing. Maybe.

Are we as couples supposed to share our earnings equally? Am I wrong for thinking that our lifestyles should be comparable?

I primarily fend for myself-he takes care of the household expenses, but hell--it's his house! I take care of all of my expenses and everything (food, supplies, etc.) that comes into this house and do everything humanly possible to make his life easier. Cook, clean, laundry, his lunches...you get the drift. He even gets his jammies set out for him at night (pathetic, I know).

Our finances are completely separate. I have a problem with that. Do I want access to his checkbook? No way....but when he wants anything and I mean anything...he gets it. This is not the case for me. I am very conservative on spending, not because I want to---I have to.

Is it fair for the breadwinner to eat all of the bread and only give the supposed love of their life a little nibble of the crust? Am I wrong for thinking that he should want to share his success with me? Keep in mind......odds are within the next 2 years...I will be earning more than him. This has been the master plan, which had always included me sharing every ounce of it with him.

What gives?

*For the record...he has done a lot for me, but he has gotten every bit of it back by the quality of care he receives.