Family finance: 9/10 UK women in control

Men might think they hold the purse strings but it is actually women who control the family finances and make the biggest decisions on spending, according to a new UK study.

Nine out of ten middle-aged women in Britain take control of paying bills, financial planning and buying goods for their household, the study found.

Dubbed the family CEO, these women believe the term housewife is old-fashioned and no longer relevant to them. Instead, they say their wide range of responsibilities mean their role is more akin to the boss of a company, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

Around 2,000 British women aged 40 to 60 were questioned for the survey, commissioned by magazine publisher IPC media.

Some 93 per cent said they made all or most of the financial decisions in their household but that figure rose to 98 per cent among those who were the main breadwinners.

More than a third – 36 per cent – said their partner or husband believed he was in control of the purse strings.

However, in reality, they controlled the finances and were responsible for making sure bills were paid, balancing the books and keeping on top of household spending, they said.

Nine out of ten of the women questioned said they made the decisions on furniture purchases, 92 per cent controlled thebuying of large appliances – including TVs, stereos and computers – while 85 per cent said they decided where the family went on holiday.

A staggering majority – 66 per cent – also revealed they had the final say on the family car.

The survey found these women believe they are a trusted section of society, with around 70 per cent claiming others often turned to them for advice and that friends and family valued their opinions.

More than half said their confidence was the highest it had ever been in their lives, with two thirds saying they no longer worried about what other women thought of them.

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