Real Love, Real Life
Real Love Real Life dives into the unfiltered reality of relationships—dating, marriage, heartbreak, healing, and everything in between. It's honest talk about love and life, filled with real stories, hard truths, and the kind of laughs that come from lived experience.
No fluff, just facts, feelings, and a whole lot of growth.
Real Love, Real Life
EP 23: 50/50 Kills Chemistry
Splitting bills in relationships isn’t always fair when life, income, and stress change.
In this episode, they get real about 50 50 relationships versus flexible partnership. From Venmo requests and grocery math to covering bills during mental health breaks, they talk about why strong relationships adjust instead of keeping score. Roles shift. Support flexes. Trust matters more than spreadsheets.
They also dig into career growth, parenting, and how financial teamwork creates freedom with fewer fights and more options. If you’ve ever argued about money, chores, or emotional load, this conversation will hit home.
Listen now, follow the show, and share it with someone who’s navigating money and partnership too.
Is it wrong to expect 50-50? And before you say anything, I feel like I am so how do I say it? When it comes to 50-50, I'm like, cut the show. Like, no. Cut the show.
SPEAKER_00:Like Bill's 50-50 or everything 50-50? I mean like you clean the dishes one day, I'll clean the dishes the next.
SPEAKER_02:Well, see, like we could talk about both since they didn't like they weren't specific about it. I think when it comes to like finances and stuff, if you guys have to be 50-50, that's your roommate. That is not a relationship. And I'm not saying, oh, like, you know, have the guy like pay for it all because there has been times that I've held it down. And like the first time that you took some time off work, it was like obviously like for like your mental health and stuff like that. And and people could talk all they want, but it's like, hey, that's my partner, and I want him to be good. So you were able to take some time off. I did everything like on my own. And then when I became a mom of three, um, it was like, hey, then I needed some time, and then you held it down. That is like what I mean. That how do I say it?
SPEAKER_00:Like, that's not 50-50 for you, but that's not 50-50.
SPEAKER_02:It's literally whenever somebody needs it. Like, yeah, or hey, um, the truck payment is like due this, this amount, like, I I don't have this amount, like, hey, you don't even have to ask me, like, here, you know?
SPEAKER_00:And I just feel like there's couples that like even I know a couple like they budget like on the 15th, you're gonna send me a couple of things.
SPEAKER_02:I know a couple that makes copies of their grocery receipts, and then the other person has to like deposit like half. If she if if that person was the one that went to the grocery store, like she'll get home, she'll scan the receipt, put it on her phone, and then she'll send a picture of him, uh, a picture of the receipt, and then he has to like send in the money.
SPEAKER_00:Boxing. I'm boxing.
SPEAKER_02:That's crazy. If you ask me for half of the grocery bill, I just leave the potatoes like on the table and be like, cook for yourself.
SPEAKER_00:That's that's crazy work. What do the kids say nowadays? That's crazy work.
SPEAKER_02:That's crazy work. Like that, that's literally a roommate. Hey, like, you're gonna eat half of the potatoes.
SPEAKER_00:I'm giving the money.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's I don't believe in 50-50. That's crazy. I just don't.
SPEAKER_00:I think But what if they're happy? You think a woman could truly be happy like that?
SPEAKER_02:I don't think a woman can truly be happy like that. In my that's my opinion. I mean, if they wrote it on here, they want my opinion, and that's my opinion. I don't believe in 50-50. I think it's tacky.
SPEAKER_00:And like basically you're saying if you're not gonna commit, don't is that what you're trying to say?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I feel like you know, you're basically 50-50.
SPEAKER_00:You're kind of like tiptoeing around, like, hmm, you might have an option or two.
SPEAKER_02:This guy I just don't like it. So, um, is it wrong to expect 50-50? Yeah. Um, but what do you think?
SPEAKER_00:50-50? Uh, I think a guy always has to be like, try to be, you know, lead wolf, you know, head of the pack. And obviously you're not always gonna be perfect. So sometimes you need a good woman as a foundation to make you stronger. So it's like, yeah, I'm taking time off work, but it's like people see a minor setback, but they don't see the major comeback. Cause as soon as, as soon as we I got back to work, two months later we got her house because I uh filled out the credit application to buy a brand new home. Yeah. And the what is it, the realtor lender? Yeah, they're like, oh no, he has to be at the company this long. And it's like, homegirl, that union money is talk different. Yeah. Because as soon as I filled the application, 10 minutes later they're calling me. Yeah. Hey, you're approved, congrats.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And it's like, two months, what? Union money, what?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Because even when I told her the wage, she's like, wow, no, you're good. Like, go pick out whatever you want, pretty much. Yeah. And we literally went into the mindset of like, we gotta get the the smallest house, which was the Leslie. Yeah. And we're like, oh, this is fantastic. And by the time it was time to get a house, we got the Julie B, which was the biggest one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And it's like, you know what I mean? I might have took time off work, but look at the major comeback coming roaring back, steaming ahead.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And then it's like, even later on, still, you know, you know, took time off work again. It's like now it's like, now I'm trying to shoot even higher. And it's like, I have, you know, luckily now a boss in my corner that he wants to see me become superintendent. He wants to see me retire there. Like, he sees stuff in me that I don't, and I feel like that's why I came back here because I'm like, I've never had somebody other than like football coaches or my other and your own dad, you always take them for granted, you know. So it's like, but also it's like this guy can actually have moves in real life. I can make more money. And it's like now it's like coming back to more bread. In August, we get a$3 raise. Like, so it's like you, you as a man, you gotta hit it hard. Like every day, it sounds corny, but you have to hit it hard. 110% show up and show them what you're made out of, just like my dad taught me. And that's what I tell your brother. You know, we've been grinding these days, working tens in this heat and all that. And I'm like, hey man, whatever you put in, you get out, but like you gotta have that. I was like, that Kobe's been on my algorithm, so I'm like, you gotta straight up have that momba mentality and show up and just outwork these guys. Like, yeah, you can be friends with them, but I was like, you gotta show up, be the best and make that bread, you know. So it's like, you know, that's gonna benefit your relationship. You're gonna start making that bread, and then now your girl's gonna be happy, you're gonna take her out to eat, maybe buy her a little thing or two. She's gonna, you know, it's like money don't it doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy freedom.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:You're not financially free, it's a rat race. So it's like 50-50 to me is like like kind of like you, is like if you're not gonna commit to each other and like really go all in, don't waste your time. If you're gonna be 50-50, I guess. If that works, to each their own. At the end of the day, to each their own. If you're truly happy, do what you gotta do. But um, men and women compliment each other, you know.
SPEAKER_02:I feel like that's why um some some people do the 50-50, is because they're like, why do I have to pay your groceries? And it or like, why do I have to pay your part of the light bill, the light that you use? I just almost get that feeling like you're not committed. And I don't, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:And I feel like those relationships too, is like, like, why are you wasting your time doing that? That's not making money. Like, but what if it's like yeah, you're I don't know, trying to be more financially literate and you're reading books, and it's like they're just why are you wasting your time? Go work or get a side job. So to each their own for me.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, to each their own. We don't we don't like believe in fifty fifty. We don't like fifty fifty. We just literally what what's mine is mine, and what's his is mine.