When Sarah Reeve got engaged, she gave her fiancé Lee a clear choice: he had to pay off his debt before they could get married.
At the time, Sarah was already paying a mortgage and bills, while Lee was paying rent to his mother. He had a £2,000 bank loan (equal to about £4,000 today) that he had used to buy a car. To give Lee enough time to pay it off, they set their wedding date two years in the future.
Once Lee cleared his debt, the couple married and combined their money into a joint account. Sarah took complete control of their budget because Lee admitted he was "rubbish with money."
Sarah’s experience is part of a larger trend. According to a report by St James’s Place, more than 80% of women are actively involved in managing daily household finances. Today, the couple has been together for 25 years and has two daughters. They view all their income as shared money. Sarah earns £24,000 part-time in insurance, while Lee earns about £30,000 working in property maintenance.
However, being the only one responsible for the money has not been easy. Sarah often felt the pressure of planning for their future alone. When they managed to save some money, she did not know how to invest it.
"I never knew what to do with it, I didn't have the confidence, and I wouldn't even know where to start," she says.
This lack of confidence is common. Research shows that only 44% of women feel confident making investment decisions on their own, compared to 63% of men.
To solve this, Sarah decided to speak with a financial adviser, even though she initially believed you needed at least £500,000 to get professional financial help. The adviser helped the couple look at their spending, understand risk, and plan for future goals like holidays, a new car, and home improvements. For Sarah, this support changed their focus from day-to-day saving to long-term planning, making her feel much more secure about their future.