Does a wife's participation in household expenses constitute a gift, and is she entitled to claim the amounts she contributed, knowing that she spent them on herself and her home of her own free will, and that the husband cannot bear to pay the requested amount?

The basic principle is that the wife's salary is her right. What she spends on the household with her consent does not entitle her to demand it from the husband, unless it was a condition or due to the husband's inability to provide maintenance. Marital problems are resolved through understanding, forgiveness, and each party's appreciation for the other.