Q&A

Now that Helena has lost her job, she …

Can’t even afford a takeaway coffee

Q I have been “pink recessioned”. I was earning $60,000 a year and then overnight I lost my casual job. I was fortunate to have enough in savings to clear all my debts, but in my panic to do that I didn’t really think about what was going to happen next.

Now for the first time in my marriage of 13 years I don’t even have the money to buy a coffee. My husband earns so much that I don’t exist as far as government benefits are concerned. So my question is, how do I have this conversation to, I guess, ask my husband for pocket money? And what is even reasonable to ask for?

Goodness, Helena, I’ve been answering readers’ questions since our first issue in mid-1999 and I thought I had answered just about every money question known to humanity. But this is a new one.

Vaguely similar questions are more usually along the lines of relationship breakdowns and one partner (all too often the female) having no access to money, control-freak male partners and so on. But from the light tone of your email, I sense you and hubby are a good pair. Even better, you make it clear there is ample money coming in from his work.

So, I reckon the solution to this one is a nice meal and a great bottle of red and a chat about a line of funding until a new position opens up for you.

As his high earnings mean you may be ineligible for government support, I hope he will have a bit of a chuckle and suggest an amount. If not, or if he is a man who loves a budget, why not jot down a few points about what is a sensible