"Her" money vs "my" money

We've been living together 6 years and still have separate accounts. We got married last year and when all out friends told us to get it all in a joint account we disagreed.

We have a joint account, the mortgage and all bills come out of it including food and pet stuff. It's also building a 'buffer' which has previously paid for a new fridge and will soon pay for some guttering. We each pay a pre-agreed amount in on our pay days (its usually 50/50 but one or the other of us has been at uni the past 2 years).

We get paid in to individual accounts, have separate ISAs and savings account and each pay 50/50 for holidays etc out of these accounts. I'm better at saving than OH so prefer to have my own money. We agreed a spending allowance each a month and each put away money for car costs and budget for all other outgoings and the rest goes in savings, I'm just better at putting little bits aside (and buy less expensive electronics). But as long as he has money for preagreed things such as friends weddings, chirstmas, holidays etc I don't mind and we both have the 'can't touch unless its a real emergency' savings.

It's nice doing it our way, because if I buy some new shoes he doesn't mind and if buys a video game I don't have to worry. We can also surprise each other and, I can buy him dinner occasionally!

OH and I been together and we don't have a joint account.

Mind you - the house we live in was just OH's and the new one we have bought is only in my name at the moment!

We've had ups and downs in terms of career and earnings. I was a student for 3 years and then OH took a year off paid work to do a renovation project. Swings and roundabouts.

I will, until the day I die maintain some independent finances. OH doesnt know what I have in savings etc and I am happy for it to remain that way! Similarly I don't know exactly how much OH earns at the moment.

We have individual accounts thta our wages go into, we then transfer money into our joint accounts. We have 2 joint accounts, one that the mortgage and all bills comes out off plus a buffer for once a top year payments like car or house insurance, then we have a joint savings which we both put a small equal amount into each month that pays for a holiday or house repairs.

Whatever is left in our individual accounts is for us to do as we please. This works for us as I'm a spender and oh is a saver, I think if we mixed the money I would feel I couldn't spend my money as I want with oh questioning each purchase And he would feel I'm wasting all the money he saves (which is in his own savings account that I don't touch)

OH and I have been together almost 10 years but haven't lived together. As we're moving in together later this year (renting) we have just set up a joint account.

We will each keep our own current accounts; I have a horse and a car, OH has neither but has a monthly rail card. Those are just easier kept to ourselves but we're each open about finances. The joint account will cover all rent/utilities etc.

We have said that we'll each have an ISA and (eventually) fill them, then look for a joint savings account but the focus will be on maximising what pitiful interest we can get!