Money Moral Dilemma: Should I use work perk towards household food shopping, or keep it for myself?

MalMonroe

That's a great work perk. I'd share it with my partner and put it towards the shared food shop, naturally. It would never occur to me to think of this as a dilemma. 

MalMonroe

m_3007 said:

If we were talking about a monetary annual bonus, I don't think most people would share that with their partners and this is only the same, it's a benefit/perk of the job. £200 does sound a lot for lunches, so maybe prioritise the money on your lunch but then any left over put into the household food budget for the next month. After all there could be a time in the future where you pay more towards the bills than him.

I think that the people who would not share a monetary annual bonus are in a minority. I hope so, anyway. I'd share mine. In fact, I have and do. 

And I'd just share the £200 perk with my partner. That's what you do, isn't it?

Pollycat

A real dilemma:
Mum hospitalised twice with malnutrition 'because food has got too expensive' (msn.com)

Kelly Thomson, 43, says she can only afford to eat one meal a day on the £40 per week she has left over for the family’s food budget after paying bills on rent.

thoughtcrime

comeandgo said:

How does that sit with HMRC?  Don’t you need to get receipts?

This really isn't much of a dilemma. How it sits with HMRC is that it's income (so no, you don't need receipts, because it's income). Just add £2400 to your earnings as the basis of how you share bills with your partner.

NBLondon

My partner and I have always split bills and rent based on our earnings, so he paid more when I earned less, though we now earn about the same. As a work perk, I get a prepaid card topped up with £200 a month as a 'lunch allowance', 

Is this "earn about the same" including the lunch perk or not?  If not, you're effectively earning more so you should contribute more....

Sensible answer is to buy what is needed for lunch and use any excess as a contribution to the food bill.

JayD

It's income and if you share income and then split expenses, you should share this!

maddogwoman

what would you suggest if he had the £200/per month top up card?

YoungBlueEyes

If the perk was given in recognition of hard work or in lieu of a pay rise - then I think I would treat myself to a nice lunch once a week, say a Friday. The rest would go into ‘our pot’ for whatever bill appeared next. 

DontBringBertie

Always find it hilarious how the old fashioned posters on here think that in a marriage all money MUST suddenly becomes ‘ours’.

We put a set amount in each money to cover mortgage, bills, food etc and the rest we spend individually how we want. 

Works fine with less arguments about who’s spending what.

Pollycat

DontBringBertie said:

Always find it hilarious how the old fashioned posters on here think that in a marriage all money MUST suddenly becomes ‘ours’.

We put a set amount in each money to cover mortgage, bills, food etc and the rest we spend individually how we want. 

Works fine with less arguments about who’s spending what.

It's not about being 'old fashioned' or holding an 'outdated preachy view'.
It's what works for you. That is both of you.

The way we do it works for us.
I really don't care how other people manage their money.

We never have arguments about money.