aussiegirl's Profile

no relationship or marriage is the same, and we can all bring the ghosts of past experiences into current situations. One sticking point for my partner and I is money.
We love, care and support each other, but the topic of marriage and kids brings up a lot of strong opinions. One topic that lead to a heated discussion was weather or not couples should maintain separate bank accounts after marriage and split everything; mortgage, bills etc 50/50. He argued yes, I argued no. both of our responses were based on breakdowns of marriage we had witnessed when children were involved.
I argued that it was not likely that we would both be on the same wage or have the same expenses/hobbies. should it be as petty as dividing food bills by who eats what? and how much? and who last bought the toilet paper. it could get ridiculous. and what happens when we have kids? child care expenses are currently higher than my actual wage, which is not likely to increase dramatically. we would be saving money if I stayed at home and did free lance work. what about the mortgage then? or our retirement? what if I couldn't meet the 50/50 requirement? then having lapsed in our 50/50 agreement, what happens if 20 years later we divorce? not a happy thought, but part or reality, it is possible. how would we split the house? the retirement fund? savings? the financial costs of any kids that are still reliant on us?
He argued that men loose out on divorce and end up financially ruined, while the women get the house, car, retirement and child support.
I believe marriage is a team, it doesn't matter who earns what, it should be considered equal. And if it ends? split it right down the middle, and nobody should get the house, sell it and say goodbye to any hard feelings, regrets and sad memories.

Is it a double standard to want financial contribution and distribution to be considered equal, when it may not be the case, and want an even split if it all turns sour?
possibly, but compromise and sacrifice are all part of it too.

having a well set up kitchen with plenty of space to cook is key for me. my current apartment has the most disfunctional kitchen i have ever seen with a cooktop stuck sideways in a nook in the corner (i mean seriously? who thought that was a good idea?). i cant wait to move to a place where i can cook for more than 1 person again.

I really like pops of gloss yellow with a grey, white and black colour scheme.
so id get a modern style door (with long rectangular windows in it) paint it gloss yellow with black hardware. and then get some tall square-ish gloss black pots for either side of the door and the two steps, with a very leafy plant with white flowers. put some black house numbers on the grey wall, and paint the garage door a darker shade of grey. and invest in some landscaping. its amazing what landscaping can do to the presentation of a house. and a shiny black car in the driveway would be the finishing touch. lol

wow, love homes like this. i wish more councils would allow designs like this.

I got a great original painting from an exhibition in my town on local artists. It was a great price (as they are not high profile artists, yet) and its 100% original, so you never know it could turn out to be an investment piece. Also our university holds exhibitions for its creative arts students. a lot of the pieces are for sale and they are AMAZING! i recommend sussing out your closest uni or art gallery that might host local exhibitions.

handrails are often removed for a photo shoot.
just like there is often a designer chair in the corner. its just a set up for the shot.

I'd go for a dark olive-y green. with a grey/blue base to it.