Should a man help his girlfriend financially? This is one of the most controversial relationship questions out there, but it deserves an honest answer.
When it comes to this sensitive topic, there is no strict YES or NO answer. There are situations when a man should help his girlfriend financially. However, there are also some situations when he shouldn’t.
Evidently, this question requires in-detail explanations of why a man should offer his girlfriend financial help (and when he shouldn’t).
You’ll find ALL of it (and more) below!
DISCLAIMER: The following tips serve as general insight into financial matters in a relationship. They are not rules that should be followed strictly. If you follow them, you do it of your own accord.
Should A Man Help His Girlfriend Financially? 5 Examples When He SHOULD
There are certain scenarios when helping your girlfriend financially is the right thing to do. Every man should help his girlfriend financially in the following cases:
1. She has REAL financial problems
There’s a difference between having real financial problems and spending more than you should. Tough financial times don’t mean lending out a large sum of money (or lending her your credit card) to buy fancy, nice things.
Don’t get me wrong. Every girlfriend deserves to be surprised with gifts from time to time, but this has nothing to do with helping your girlfriend financially.
TO MEN: She is not your financial responsibility. First of all, she is your girlfriend who has some financial problems. This means you should offer her financial help but not let her be fully financially dependent on you.
2. Her family is struggling financially
Should a man help his girlfriend financially? Sure. A man should help his girlfriend’s family member who needs financial help for the right reasons. These reasons could be health costs or helping pay rent.
The emphasis here is on helping. When a man helps his girlfriend’s family, he has every right to expect them to repay him when they can. If she is his wife or fiancee, then it would be a slightly different situation because she would be his family.
However, this doesn’t mean a man should help her close friends, friends of her friends, you name it. No matter how financially stable a man is, there should always be some boundaries regarding financial help.
3. She’s not someone who wastes money
When a man decides to give his girlfriend money, he should first make sure that she isn’t the type of person who wastes it.
I had this one high school friend who was so careless with her money and always insisted that her boyfriends pay for everything.
She would also lie to them that she needed money for something important. When they refused to help her, she would start complaining: “My boyfriend doesn’t help me financially.” OR “My boyfriend never helps me financially.” (Even though she knew this wasn’t true.)
All of us have money issues at some point. Now, the question is: Is she the type of person who usually wastes a large sum of money in a short time? Is she asking for financial help for the right reasons?
If she’s a responsible person who happens to have financial problems at the moment, then she should be helped financially.
4. She’s into him and not his money
She’s genuinely in love with her man, and she’s never thought of using him financially or in any other way. The reason she needs financial help is solely financial in nature, and it has nothing to do with greed.
TO MEN: If a woman is into you and not your money, she will not allow you to pay all the bills. Instead, she will make sure that you pay 50-50, or she will let you pay when you insist on it. That’s the kind of woman who deserves your financial help when she needs it.
5. He is financially stable
Should a man help his girlfriend financially? If a man is not financially stable, then how would he be able to help his girlfriend financially, right?
However, if he’s financially stable and his girlfriend’s reasons for financial help are justified, then I don’t see why he shouldn’t help her.
There’s also one thing everyone should keep in mind: Even if a man has enough money to offer financial assistance to his girlfriend’s entire family, this doesn’t mean he should pay all of the bills.
Being financially stable is not a good enough reason to be the one who finances every single thing in a relationship.
Benefits Of Helping A Girlfriend Financially
Helping others always comes with benefits we often don’t pay attention to. Helping a girlfriend financially can improve your relationship in the following ways:
• Helping a girlfriend financially helps strengthen your bond
Financial support is also a type of support in a relationship. Helping a girlfriend financially can have a positive effect on a couple’s bond. In other words, it can make their bond stronger, and it can help them build trust.
How, you wonder? By helping your partner financially, you are letting them know that they can rely on you no matter what. That’s exactly what improves trust and makes you feel closer to one another.
• Being partners in good and bad
The world is a cruel place, but what matters is that you have each other’s backs. They say that hard times are a real test for true love, and I genuinely believe that.
It’s easy to be there for your partner when everything’s going well. You laugh together, watch TV shows, go on adventures, and laugh some more.
When all of that is gone, and one partner has financial or other problems, things become hard. Deciding to stay and help one another even during hard times is the true definition of love. It is also proof of being husband material or wife material.
• Her gratefulness will be a blessing to him
“Should I help my girlfriend financially?” If a woman loves a man, the last thing a man would have to worry about is whether she’s grateful for his help.
TO MEN: Believe me, every woman who is genuinely in love with you will appreciate every little thing you do for her. She will not hesitate to express her gratitude regardless of whether you made her a cup of coffee or did something that requires more effort.
So, when a man helps his girlfriend financially, she will let him know how grateful she is for having him in her life. And he will be grateful to her for acknowledging that.
• He will feel like her hero
Every woman is capable of triggering a man’s hero instinct. She can do it by simply asking him for help. When a man helps his girlfriend financially, she will make him feel like HER HERO.
Every man’s goal in a relationship is to feel like that. They want to be able to provide and protect their girlfriends and wives. It’s just in their nature.
If a woman triggers that instinct in a man, she gives her man enough space to be who he desires to be: someone she can rely on emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially.
Also, most women instinctively look for a man who is able to support them and their family financially.
Pew Research Center confirms this by stating the following data: “Roughly seven-in-ten adults (71%) say it is very important for a man to be able to support a family financially to be a good husband or partner.”
5 Examples When A Man SHOULDN’T Help His Girlfriend Financially
Helping a girlfriend financially sometimes isn’t the right thing to do. Men shouldn’t help their girlfriends financially in the following circumstances:
1. She’s taking advantage of him
If a girlfriend is only interested in what her man can do for her financially, then there’s no space for true love here. Unless they have a different agreement, a man should not help his girlfriend financially if she’s using him. Period.
TO MEN: There are a lot of women who are skillful at taking advantage of their men. If your significant other exhibits the following red flags, then you should think twice before helping her financially:
• She seldom or never pays attention to you.
• She expects you to pay for everything.
• She doesn’t introduce you to those close to her.
• She’s only interested in what you can do for her.
• Expensive brands and spending money uncontrollably are her obsession.
• She only pays attention to you after you buy her something.
• She’s not interested in working or pursuing her goals.
2. She’s irresponsible and careless with money
Should a man help his girlfriend financially? He should help his girlfriend financially if her reasons for financial help are valid.
Being irresponsible or careless with money is never a valid enough reason to help someone financially. The more money you give to such people, the more they’ll waste.
We’re talking about a never-ending cycle here. When a man gives a woman money who is totally irresponsible when it comes to spending it, she will soon ask for more.
In such cases, giving money is not the solution, and it can make things even worse.
3. She’s not grateful for his help
No matter what kind of help you offer someone, the least they can do is be grateful for that. If a man helps his girlfriend financially and she’s not grateful for it, or she’s disrespectful, then he shouldn’t even do it.
The best thing to do is pay attention to her “gratefulness levels” in other situations. If a woman generally isn’t grateful for anything a man does for her, then she doesn’t deserve his help at all.
4. She doesn’t offer to pay him back
I totally understand that the vast majority of boyfriends would never ask their girlfriends to repay them when they help them financially. However, just offering repayment (especially when it comes to a large sum of money) is polite.
It’s up to the person who gives the money to decide whether they’ll accept repayment or not. If a woman thinks you ought to give her money no matter what, she will not offer to pay you back.
If she’s grateful for your help and wants to be equal in a relationship, she will offer repayment. Now, it’s up to you, dear men, to decide whether you’ll help her or not (and whether you’ll accept repayment or not).
5. She’s not genuine with him
Should a man help his girlfriend financially? He shouldn’t help her financially if she’s been lying to him, using him, or simply not being genuine with him.
TO MEN: How will you know that she’s not being genuine with you? You’ll know by the way she looks at you and if her story doesn’t add up. Also, your gut feeling will tell you when a girl is being genuine with you.
Offering someone who is taking advantage of you or being dishonest with you financial help is something no one should do.
What Are The Duties Of A Boyfriend To His Girlfriend?
The unwritten duties of a boyfriend to his girlfriend are the following: listening, protecting her, respecting her, and supporting her. These are so-called non-negotiables in a relationship.
Full financial support is not one of a boyfriend’s duties. However, if his girlfriend needs financial help for the right reasons, he has every right to help her.
Being a good boyfriend or girlfriend is about being there for one another and fighting for your relationship. When your partner’s happiness is as important to you as your own, then you know you’re doing it right.
Does Money Matter In A Relationship?
Yes, money matters in a relationship to a certain degree. Simply talking about your financial situations helps partners figure out where they stand. Being with someone who is careless and irresponsible about money can be really challenging.
Relationships have many goals, and one of them is your financial goals. Respecting one another’s financial perspectives and goals helps build trust in a relationship.
The same thing applies to talking about kids and other sensitive topics. Communicating about everything is the key to a happy relationship.
Should Relationships Be 50-50 Financially?
My personal opinion is that relationships should be 50-50 financially because we’re talking about a partnership, not sponsorship. However, there are certain situations when partners will have to compromise regarding finances.
For example, if one partner needs financial help, the other shouldn’t insist on going 50-50 financially during that period. Offering financial help during hard times is a sign of trust, respect, and support in a relationship.
Both men and women should keep in mind that they have every right to choose not to financially help a partner who is bad with money or who is using them.
There are also situations in which partners agree to be financially dependent on one partner. One such example is being a sugar baby.
Some sugar babies end up being in genuine relationships with their partners after some time. Their relationship is not based on 50-50 when it comes to finances because they have a different agreement.
How Do You Tell If A Man Is Financially Stable?
Asking for financial help from a man who is not financially stable could be an issue. Here’s how you’ll know that a man is financially stable:
• He insists on paying for everything (even when you refuse).
• He never talks negatively about money.
• He pays his rent and bills on time.
• He’s responsible with money.
• He tells you that you should never worry about money.
• He spoils you with expensive gifts.
• He has a good job and some worthy investments.
Financially stable men don’t brag about money. They let you know that you can rely on them financially, but they don’t spend irresponsibly. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be financially stable, right?
What Do You Do When Your Boyfriend Has Financial Problems?
When your boyfriend has financial problems, you can offer to help him financially if you can and if you think his reasons for help are justified. If he’s bad with money, you can try to talk to him about his irresponsible behavior.
For these reasons, I advise all women to be financially independent. Both partners should be financially independent so that they can help one another in times of need. That’s what relationships are all about: giving and receiving, compromise, and support.
Did You Find This Helpful?
Should a man help his girlfriend financially? There are many reasons why he should, but there are also some valid reasons when he shouldn’t.
Every situation is individual, so you shouldn’t strictly follow this guidance if it doesn’t match your current situation. Generally, a man should help his girlfriend if he’s capable and if, according to him, her reasons for help are valid.
Men and women have the right to choose not to help partners who are bad with money because that would mean helping them become more irresponsible and immature.
Finances are one of the most controversial topics in a relationship, but this doesn’t have to be so if both partners are ready to deal with it in a mature way.
