We are saving money, and we get far fewer calls asking us to buy things we don't need. As K says, "If we need something, or we want to donate to a charity, it should be our idea; not someone else's." It is a rule of the house that we say "no, thank you" to anyone who comes to the door, or calls, asking us to buy or donate.
Someone asked recently what my reply would be to a request to speak to the man of the house. After being taken aback a lot, thinking how primitive that idea always was, then remembering how prevalent that sort of thinking was not that long ago, I replied that I would probably say "He isn't in right now. Can I take a message?"
Generally someone in a family does take the lead in the finances and running the place. Here, I am in charge of the kitchen, and otherwise K takes charge. We both like it that way. It suits our skill sets.
When it comes to wearing the pants, K is definitely more likely to fit the description, generally because she likes wearing jeans, and I really enjoy the freedom of wearing a skirt or dress. More to the point, though, I love the feeling of someone I trust completely taking care of me and K loves my cooking!
And just to be perfectly clear:
there are no men in this house.