One of my girlfriends is currently doing this. She has recently opened her own bank account, she is putting money into that account from the household budget. Her current DH (because she is working towards him being her XH) controls all of her spending, while we were in Bali in Sept she had to ask for extra spending money to buy presents for the kids (mainly because we made her spend the money he had initially given her on herself with spa treatments, clothes etc). She realises it is going to be a journey to get to the point that she has enough of a nest egg to be able to leave him, but we’re all behind her 100% and supporting her in any way she can.