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How to fairly contribute to bills in a relationship?
Comments
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He originally said that we'd split the rent 50/50, which would see his rent decrease and mine stay the same.
You could always offer to go 50/50 on the rent, but....
1. Go 50/50 on utilities after the standing charges have been deducted (he'd be paying them whether you are there or not)
2. Pay the extra 25% on the Council Tax (he'd be paying 75% of the rate as a single occupant).0 -
martinbuckley wrote: »You could always offer to go 50/50 on the rent, but....
1. Go 50/50 on utilities after the standing charges have been deducted (he'd be paying them whether you are there or not)
2. Pay the extra 25% on the Council Tax (he'd be paying 75% of the rate as a single occupant).
If a g/f tried pulling that one on me there is no way she would be moving in with me. Its supposed to be a relationship not a tenant/landlord arrangement.
Why people try and complicate such a straight forward step in life baffles me. No wonder relationships break down0 -
When my husband and I first moved in together we split everything equally even though I was paid slightly less. I think that's fair if you work the same hours and have no kids.
After our baby arrived I was earning more so paid more and he did the childcare. Now we work it in reverse so we both have the same amount of spending money after bills. This means my husband pays in double what I do, but having the same amount of pocket money seems fair.0 -
If a g/f tried pulling that one on me there is no way she would be moving in with me. Its supposed to be a relationship not a tenant/landlord arrangement.
Why people try and complicate such a straight forward step in life baffles me. No wonder relationships break down
I'm married so in a slightly different situation to an unmarried cohabiting couple. However, the complicated algorithms some people use to try and achieve a fair split never ceases to amaze and amuse me.
My wife and I have never discussed expenses. When she moved in, with the exception of the grocery shopping which she took over, I carried on paying all the bills that I did before we were married.
It's worked for nearly ten years now without any issues.0 -
One strategy is you put in what you can within your means.
say
you can afford £400pm on rent then you rent a place for £800 if the other person wants/needs a better place they pay the top up.
you can afford £300pp self catering in Turkey, other wants an all inclusive in Mexico @ £800pp they pay your top up(if they want to be with you)
You can afford £10 for a burger and a couple of beers at a spoons they want to go to a fancy steak place @ £50pp they cough up the extra
you can do the house 50:50 but that leaves less for the other stuff.
You get a clue if as the lower earner the other starts to spend their surplus in a non inclusive way or tries to pressure you to spend more than you have, they may not be as into you as you thought.0 -
We pay an agreed amount each, based upon earnings, into an account that is only used for household bills (inc food, savings, joint gifts). He earns more than me so pays more in, and therefore still has more disposable income. Any personal bills go out of own personal accounts and our own disposable income. If he or I happen to earn more/get a bonus etc then you get the benefit of the money - you are the one that has worked hard for it! Sometimes we'll use it to have a nice meal for the both of us, sometimes we'll treat our self... either way the other doesn't care as it isn't their money! I like to spend money on weekends away with friends, he likes to spend it on expensive clothes or golf gear, and it causes zero arguments because it isn't 'joint' money.0
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Gloomendoom wrote: »I'm married so in a slightly different situation to an unmarried cohabiting couple. However, the complicated algorithms some people use to try and achieve a fair split never ceases to amaze and amuse me.
My wife and I have never discussed expenses. When she moved in, with the exception of the grocery shopping which she took over, I carried on paying all the bills that I did before we were married.
It's worked for nearly ten years now without any issues.
That's fine for you as you seem perfectly happy to subsidise your wife's earnings. That's your choice and she obviously accepts this arrangement.
OP's boyfriend asked her to pay 50:50 but she wants to just pay 40% with no logical reason (I'm assuming) other than that because he earns more she should benefit???0 -
Until children come along ... Bills and rent should be split 50/50. It makes no odds that he earns more than you.
I don't really get this, what if a couple never has children, whether that's by choice or not?
If one partner earns a lot more than the other, do they keep paying 50/50 forever? With one maybe living paycheque to paycheque and the other saving a big lump sum and having loads of stuff the other can't afford?
Not everybody can have a well paid job, it just doesn't work like that, the country would fall apart without the low paid!0 -
Each pay a % of your take home into a joint account. Enough to pay for all joint expenditure including things like holidays0
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Red-Squirrel wrote: »I don't really get this, what if a couple never has children, whether that's by choice or not?
If one partner earns a lot more than the other, do they keep paying 50/50 forever? With one maybe living paycheque to paycheque and the other saving a big lump sum and having loads of stuff the other can't afford?
Not everybody can have a well paid job, it just doesn't work like that, the country would fall apart without the low paid!
Being such early days and a one bedroom flat there is no reason it shouldnt be affordable. Once the relationship cements itself and should they move onto something less affordable for one or other its a conversation they can have then0
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