Financial arrangements in Master/slave relationships

In a live-in Master/slave relationship, finances are crucial to how you will live together. Does the Master have complete control of what you earn? Are you allowed to earn money, or will you stay at home? And what happens to the assets collected by a Master and slave if the relationship ends?

This is part of a series of articles on Finances in Master/Slave Dynamics.

Stay at home or career

Although in some Master/slave relationships, the slave stays at home, many Master/slave relationships often have the slave working in a successful career. But the finances of these slaves may also be controlled. 

We fantasise about finding that 24/7 Master, giving everything up for him, and never worrying about money again. But the reality is different and much more nuanced.

• Are you a slave, own a house, and have a lot of savings? How comfortable would you be to give this all to a Master?
• As a Master – do you want a slave who does not work?- If so, do you know how to make sure they will be financially secure when you die or when the relationship ends?
• Are you about to be part of a Master/slave household with many people – who pays what – what does it mean in the future if you leave or the household breaks apart?
• What if a Master does not want to take control and believes it is something you need to sort?

Do you have a clear answer to this?

Knowing how to figure out the answers to these questions is essential. What is best for you and the relationship you are going to have? How can you make the fantasy a pragmatic reality that works in all ways – including finances?

Finances in Master/slave relationships is a subject no one talks about. 

This article is a guide to help anyone considering a Master/slave relationship, or if you are already in one, how to think through your current Master/slave relationship and the future of it.

Common Financial arrangements in mainstream relationships

Before going into details on common Master/slave financial arrangements, let us start by looking at common arrangements used in mainstream relationships, as often one or a mix of these is used as a basis for a Master/slave relationship.

• Equal Sharing (50/50) regardless of income differences
• Proportionate Contribution based on each partner’s income
• Permission-Based Spending
• Separate Finances with Joint Responsibilities
• Unequal Contribution: One partner, typically with higher earnings, pays for everything
• Saving one Income
• Financial Control

Combining All Finances	This approach involves depositing both partners’ incomes into a joint account, from which all expenses, including personal spending, are paid. It requires open communication and agreement on spending and budgeting. This method promotes transparency and equality but may be challenging if there’s a significant income disparity or different spending habits.
Separate Finances with Joint Responsibilities	Couples keep their finances separate but share responsibilities for specific bills. For instance, one partner might pay for housing and utilities while the other covers groceries and everyday expenses. This method maintains independence but requires coordination and agreement on who pays what
Partially Combined Finances	Couples combine their finances for shared expenses (like rent, utilities, and groceries) but keep personal spending separate. This can be done by contributing to a joint account for shared expenses while maintaining individual accounts for personal spending
Splitting Bills Equally or Proportionally	Shared expenses like rent and utilities are split equally between partners or divided based on each person’s income. The proportional approach is often seen as more equitable, especially if there’s a significant difference in earnings.
Living Off One Income	One partner’s income is used for all household expenses and savings, while the other’s income is saved entirely. This method can be effective for saving and investing but requires that one income is sufficient for all expenses.
Allowance System	Both incomes go into a joint account, but each partner receives an ‘allowance’ or ‘fun money’ separately. This combines transparency and joint responsibility with personal financial freedom.
Hybrid Approaches	Many couples create a customised approach that combines elements of the above methods

Here is a recent article on how different couples arrange finances and their viewpoints on the arrangements.

Unique Financial Arrangements in a Master/slave Relationship

These include all of the above. But there are some unique variants in a Master/slave relationship.

Permission-Based Spending

With permission-based spending, a slave must ask for permission before purchasing anything. This could be as simple as a book or t-shirt from Amazon or something significant like a computer or car.

Some Masters and slaves prefer permission for everything – a more micro-managing level of control whereas others have permission limited in scope in some way – for example, substantial purchases. 

The slave may continue to have their bank account, which their salary goes into, and in reality, they can pay for what they want, when they want. But they always ask the Master for permission first.

In other cases, the slave might not have access to their account and need the Master to purchase or give them the money.

Unequal Contribution: One partner, typically with higher earnings, pays for everything / Saving One Income.

This can often be the case when one person makes much more. When the Master earns much more than the slave, they are often happy to pay for the costs of everything.

Sometimes, the Master is older and already has a house and everything he needs, so the slave does not need to buy anything.

Some Masters decide the slaves can do what they want with the money, or there can be a permission-based spending approach.

Other Masters require the slave to put all money into pensions, savings and investments. This might include purchasing a house or flat that is rented out.

Often, this is to ensure the security of the slave, to ensure that if the Master dies or the relationship for another reason ends, the slave will be well provided for regardless of any money the Master might or might not provide the slave.

In one household, I know the Master was rich. He did not require any money from the slave to run the household or the house(s) expenses. However, he did require any slave that would move into his household to buy a flat/house that they rented out. This was to help ensure the slave’s financial future.

I know a Master who was much older and more successful than his slave – the Master had more secure finances. When they moved in together, the Master took control of all the slave’s finances. He does not use the money himself. Instead, he makes sure that all money goes into building security for the slave.

Master A

Note: Although I have encountered some recon profiles of a Master wanting a slave to earn a lot more money so they do not have to work themselves, I have not encountered this in actual reality, so I have not included it as an option.

Financial Control

All money is paid to the Master, who decides what to do with it.

The slave might know what the Master is using the money for. For other slaves, they have no control over their finances or what they are used for. The Master has total control and autonomy.

The slave has twice the income of the Master, but the slave pays all the money to the Master’s account. Then the Master pays student debt, the slave’s mortgage, etc, and then uses the rest as he wants. I’m not sure if he saves it for the slave or if it goes towards the household.

I checked in with the slave, who was very happy with this. He trusts the Master and feels freedom from being burdened by money.

But the slave also said his pension is taken out before the money is sent to the Master, so he knows his future is secure.

Master B

No control

Some Masters do not want to control a slave’s finances at all. 

I have been divorced, and there’s no way I want to deal with the finances of a slave. I also have a setup where all the slaves I own have husbands. There’s no way I would want to interfere with that. Plus, I don’t have the time for that sort of micro-management.

A Master can choose what he wants to control, and this is one of those areas where I choose not to.

Master C

This can be because the Master is not interested in controlling this. 

Other times, it might be that the Master and slave do not care for financial control and instead contribute to the household – proportionally or equally.

Slaves run the finances for the Master/Household

Some slaves might be very good at finances – far better than any Master – so they might organise and arrange the finances. 

They might make decisions based on their expertise, or they make recommendations to the Master – which he approves or denies. 

You can think of this as a leader/manager in business who defers to the financial expert.

In this case – a slave’s financial skill is so good it is put in service to the Master or household to help.

I have always thought if I found the right Master, I would look after the Master’s finances as an act of service as I could help them so much based on my knowledge and expertise.

slave A

Other times, it might be the Master has struggled with finances.

Master was not good at finances when I first met him, so I expected him to sort this out and take responsibility, and if he did not, I would take back control. I have always kept control of my finances.

slave b

Stipend

Related to some of the above, there are relationships where the slave does not have access to money other than what the Master provides. You can think of this like pocket money or a stipend, and the slave needs to live within this.

This does require a Master who also knows the cost of living and gives something workable to a slave.

I do come across “online masters” who want to take control and then give something so low to a slave that it is not possible to buy lunch. But I fail to see how this creates a healthy, sustainable relationship. 

Bad control

I know of one case of a Master/slave couple where the slave one morning had a lock on the door and had bailiffs wanting to enter the house as the Master had not been keeping up with the payments.

The slave knew nothing of the financial issues and suddenly found himself where the flat house and belongings were being removed.

The relationship did not survive this breach of trust.

The slave supports the household

The slave earns more money and so supports the household more.

Read the series in Finances in Master/Slave Dynamics

This is part of a series of articles on Finances in Master/Slave Dynamics.

• Financial arrangements in Master/slave relationships
• Principles for Managing Financial Control in BDSM Relationships
• Financial challenges and considerations for Total Power Control Master/slave relationships
• Financial issues for Master/slave Households and other Polyamorous arrangement

Plus, the following articles are available in the Master’s Vault Subscription

• Understanding Legal Frameworks in Master/Slave Financial Dynamics
• Why is financial control in a Master/slave relationship important?
• Legal Frameworks for Master/slave Households and polyamorous relationships
• Selling property or financial issues when leaving a Master/slave household

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