The Great Hunt: Top money tips for newlyweds

Davids_Dad

although I have always been the main earner I have never given my wife house keeping money. all the bills are set to come out of our joint account 2 days after I get paid and then what's left has to do us for the rest of the month anything left at the end of the month goes into a savings account which we use for holidays. 31 years married and we have never argued about money.

74jax

macloud wrote: »

Use a joint bank account (only !). If you feel unable to do that, I think you need to ask yourselves : where is the trust in your marriage ?


Macloud (married 42 years - same girl !)

Loads of trust, but what if you just plain and simply don't want to. I really can't see how we could surprise each other with a joint account, you'd see the money going out and where to. This is really the only reason I won't have one.

gloriouslyhappy

macloud wrote: »

Use a joint bank account (only !). If you feel unable to do that, I think you need to ask yourselves : where is the trust in your marriage ?

Macloud (married 42 years - same girl !)

It's not an issue of trust, more one of independence. As I said, we pool income and have a joint account for the household stuff, but we also each have a personal account and pay ourselves the same amount each of 'fun money', to be spent or saved as we like, no questions asked.

As 74jax says, how can you surprise the other at birthday and christmas time, or any time you feel like treating, if it's all in a single joint account? This is life, not one of those old feel-good unrealistic movies! It's about whatever works for you, and if your way is different to another's, that doesn't mean the relationship is rocky..

74jax wrote: »

Loads of trust, but what if you just plain and simply don't want to. I really can't see how we could surprise each other with a joint account, you'd see the money going out and where to. This is really the only reason I won't have one.

littlesnuggy

Having got married last week, I thought I'd better give this thread a read.

Having been together for over 10 years and lived together for 9 of those, we aren't planning on changing a thing finances-wise. We have always had a joint account which we both pay equal amounts into; the mortgage and all household bills go out of this account and all of the food shopping, plus any other household shopping is paid for from this account. We both have our own personal accounts (current, savings & ISAs) and I can't think why we'd want to change that now we're married.

Things may change when we start a family and perhaps have only one income, but for the time being this works for us.

I have already changed my name with the majority of people (I was shocked how easy it was with both HMRC & Companies House, who didn't want to see any evidence!) but will need to send my driving license off once I'm sure I won't need to show it for ID anywhere for a few weeks.

gloriouslyhappy

littlesnuggy wrote: »

Having got married last week, I thought I'd better give this thread a read.

Congratulations! Sounds like you've pretty much already got the basics sorted so it just remains to wish you long life and much happiness!