best way to pay bills / mortage etc when in a couple

Cherry_Bomb

I couldn't think of anything worse than saying to my OH ''right you owe X amount for rent, gas, phone etc'' or vice versa but that's just my opinion.

We have a joint account. Both wages are paid into it and all the bills come out of. We also have joint savings which a % of our combined wages goes into. Money that's left is our money. None of this that's your money this is my money. I just can't get my head round it!

sooty&sweep

Hi
We have a joint account both salaries go in & all expenses come out. We also have a joint credit card. my hubby does earn more than me but I've stayed closer to home & work a few less hours because we have 2 children. Neither of us have any expensive hobbies & neither of us are big spenders. We do tend to buy expensive items together or consult the other.
If you''re not married I'd agree with others about handsome sort of agreement in place. I'm a big believer in sods law & plan for a situation & it won't happen.

Jen

Carl31

All income in our house is 'our' income

I work full time and earn the majority share, my wife works part time and is home most of the day for the children. We ask each other before spending money on ourselves, but it is managed so we are able to pretty much as we like

There are no arguments and never have been. The issue is you kind of buy yourself presents, but that's not really a problem

Carl31

Cherry_Bomb wrote: »

I couldn't think of anything worse than saying to my OH ''right you owe X amount for rent, gas, phone etc'' or vice versa but that's just my opinion.

We have a joint account. Both wages are paid into it and all the bills come out of. We also have joint savings which a % of our combined wages goes into. Money that's left is our money. None of this that's your money this is my money. I just can't get my head round it!

I think at least once a week I hear from at least one friend who moans that they had to pay their partners 'share' of something, usually backed by resentment type of tone.

I don't think that's healthy for any relationship

maman

Nicky_Noo_Na wrote: »

As already mentioned different things work for different people.

We get paid into our own bank accounts and transfer a set amount each to a joint account that is for all bills, food and joint expenses to come out of. We're then left with roughly the same 'fun money' each which is for us to each spend as we wish which works for us as we have massively different spending habits - I spend little and often through the month and he saves for a bit and then blows it on an expxensive item but the no judgement aspect works well for us. It's also nice to feel like you have your 'own' money especially for when wanting to treat your partner or buy presents etc in secret which you can't do with a single joint account.

That's roughly what we do and it works well for us.

The point I wanted to make is that this issue invariably runs deeper than the practicalities of how to pay bills. I think it is very linked to the sort of personality you are and the sort of relationship you're in. From reading similar threads before, many people seem to want to get together and share everything in a relationship including joint accounts. Personally I'd hate not to have my own account . I see it as a form of independence that I retain although I'm part of a couple. It's more than just the money for me.

tara747

bloolagoon wrote: »

we leave both with £400 pm to see fit. Everything else is joint. If he wishes to buy a season ticket for rangers, i get a facial it's own spends. House, savings and children are separate. He earns £18k more than me, but we each have same spends.

It works for us.

We lived in sin prior to marriage and had an agreement drawn up that a percentage would be paid from equity if split prior to marriage. It was 63% and 47% at the time.

63 + 47 = 110.

mrsj28

This seems to come up quite regularly, and I think it's totally down to what works best for you and your OH!

We share all of our money - both incomes go into a joint account, all bills, mortgage, and general spending comes out of it. We save a certain amount each month, the savings account is in my name but purely because I'm the one that deals with the money - it's very much 'our money'.

The only 'separate' money we have is £100 per month each which we call our pocket money, and we can spend on whatever we like without having to discuss it, or justify to the other. This seems to save on money arguments, as occasionally I can go and spend £££ on expensive make up which I don't need and he can fritter the cash on iphone apps! We also buy each other's birthday and Christmas presents from this account. Oh, and any cash we are given personally for e.g. birthdays or Christmas from relatives is our own and goes into pocket money instead of the joint account.

Before we were married or living together our money was obviously all separate and I got so tired of him owing me money, or it being somebody's 'turn' to pay, so the joint thing works very well for us. But it's not for everybody.