Partner moving in - how to split outgoings

74jax

Gycraig said:

Is he a partner or a house mate ? Why on earth is a family with a net income of 93k discussing who should pay more for heating ? 

I don't think it's a case of who should pay more for heating, but overall how their finances could be utilised as a couple merging into one financial household. 

I'm a huge believer in discussing finances in general. So much better than moving in and then realising you both differ. 

Exodi

We split our expenses proportionate to our income (though we do make some specific adjustments as you would need to).

In your circumstances this would look like:

Person A Net: £5,250 p/m less £900 mortgage = £4350.
Person B Net: £3,621 p/m less £400 mortgage and £130 LA fees = £3091.

Therefore you take home 58.5% and your partner takes home 41.5% - with any bills split in this way.

I deliberately took out the mortgage to prevent the situation of claiming on each others properties should the relationship break down.

This situation is not perfect, and you didn't include the figures for child maintenance or second mortgage which I would use to reduce your net, but you get the idea. The idea being that the person who has twice as much in their bank every month is paying twice as much towards the bills.

My partner and I have a joint account where we make these contributions. So if you carry on with the above, if your joint monthly bills were £1000, you'd send £585 to the joint account every month and your partner would send £415 - with the bills taken from there and any money left over remains owned in this percentages.

But as DullGreyGuy brilliantly says - our way isn't the 'right way' (if there was such a thing), it's just how we were happy doing it.

DullGreyGuy said:

Ask 10 couples how they do their finances and you'll probably get 10 different answers. All 10 are correct if it works for them and both sides are happy with the arrangement.

mdj1876

Keep_pedalling said:

You pay all of the mortgage and split the household expenses equally. If she contributes to the mortgage (or to major home improvements) she will effectively have a beneficial interest in your home which could become tricky if things go pear shaped. 

Disagree with this as I have friends going through this. My friend paid for half of bills only but as her partner cannot prove that it was for bills only and she has lived in his house for 5 years, she is entitled to part of his house.

Personally, I would split all bills proportionately - if you earn 60% he earns 40% of total, you pay 60% of all bills and he pays 40%). I would split food shopping and anything you buy for the house as 50/50.