Money when you are a married couple...

We have a joint account into which all of the household bills money goes. We still have our own accounts and our own bills, for example I have a car so I pay the insurance and he pays for the Sky TV. Anything else is ours but we share. If one of us needs money we're more than happy to share.

We currently have two seperate accounts and I just transfer a certain amount to his and he pays all the bills. This is mainly because I have a student account whilst I am still at uni and he has a Graduate account - neither of which allows joint account status I dont think.

Once I have graduated (only 6months left!!) and he is able to switch to a normal account then will we have a joint one but also keep a seperate one each and have an 'allowence' to use as we wish (presents, secret weekend away etc)

We both got a joint account when we moved in together. We just found it easier to be able to see all the money we have together - neither of us would ever spend a big amount without discussing it first, so it's worked out well.

We got a joint account when we bought our house (4 years before we got married) and that's all we use these days. We have kept our personal accounts but there's nothign in them.

The disadvantage is that buying each other presents isn't so much of a treat for the other person!

It works for us. I don't have to check with him if I want to buy clothes and he doesn't have to check with me if he wants to withdraw money for a night out with the boys.

I couldn't bear going out for a meal and it being someone's "turn" to pay.

We already had joint accounts in place because of rent and bills from living together. Once we were engaged we used our joint savings and paid in equally to cover the wedding costs. But we do have our own accounts for our own spending.

I am in charge of the joint account, because I knew who needed paying what and by when for the wedding, and it's just stayed that way. Even though I am horrendous with money, I am left to my own devices with it mainly because OH forgets the online password. So he never knows when I may dip into it for a new outfit or whatever when I am awaiting payday ? (I always pay it back though)

I dunno- we've always had seperate accounts and managed just fine. If we need to go to the shops or anything, then we each get our own bits and pay seperately...it's never, ever been an issue. If we go out for dinner, we always go Dutch and each pay our own way. It just seems like the natural thing for us to do!

Not sure if this will change when we're married. We don't have a mortgage or anything. Plus, I earn more than him, so wouldn't want him raiding my cash when he's short! ?

Each to their own, I guess.

We are basically the same as this. We are paid directly into our personal accounts and then transfer all but a small amount to our joint account, this just means when it comes round to Birthdays and Christmas etc we don't see what we have bought each other on the bank statements! It has worked really well for us. Once we are married I can't see it changing as everything is already shared really. We also have a number of joint savings accounts.

We have a joint account for our mortage bills etc. We are paid into our 'own' accounts and transfer it int the joint one. We also opened a wedding account so our saving/spending for this would have no impact on our ability to pay bills. I imagined we would just put everything into the joint accounts once married but now I like the idea of keeping a little each to buy presents. So maybe we will keep an account each for this. Generally we see our money as one big pot. He earns more than me but has a car loan so we end up about the same each month but we don't keep tabs on who pays for what as i'm sure it'll all work out in then end. We've been the same since we got together so it feels natural for us but as someone said above each to their own. As long as you have enough money each month for the bills then it doesn't matter.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. Its interesting how everyone does it.

I earn more than my OH but we have the 'same' amount of money each in our personal accounts each month to keep things fair.

I just think what money do we actually spend now that isn't as a couple and its just clothes / nights out with friends.

If we had a little aside each month we can still do the above but within what our personal accounts let us.

I think if we allowed ourselves to get our clothes / nights out from the joint account I'd be out shopping all the time and OH would be out with the boys all the time! Lol!

There would be no limits as we would have quite a bit in our joint account supposedly 'spare' (but that I'd rather spend on the house, holidays, dates!)

We have our own separate accounts for salaries. We pay a set amount (approx. 30% of our salaries each) into a joint account every month (rent/shopping/bills/etc).

Everything I have left is MINE! If he wants to buy a new TV every year, he can do so out of his own money. Similarly, he cannot comment on the value I place on a decent moisturiser.

We've got a joint account that we both pay into, I currently pay more but thats because I earn more. Bills are paid out of this but as Pompey said, he pays for his van insurance out of his personal account and our mobiles are both paid for ourselves not the joint account. We pay more into the joint account than we need so we've got savings and a bit to treat ourselves with or buy stuff for the house. It's a bit more complicated for us because I get paid monthly and he gets paid weekly

We're similar to a few above...

We're paid into personal account (I earn more so add more to the joint) and hold back a small amount for personal luxuries...We then use the joint account for everything, savings, meals, holidays, bills etc..

I love it this way, I wouldn't want to be splitting bills or using the same account for my own stuff as I don't think it would work out fair?? Plus it also means if I need to buy a new expensive pair of straighteners then I have my own money for this.

x

There was a humdinger if a thread a while back were someone said there was no point in getting married if ou weren't planning on sharing your money.

i may gave got a bit snarky about the whole thing.

The answer is no, there is no change in our money situation either before or after getting married. We pay half the bills each, I pay the mortgage, food, petrol, and everything else. Whatever is left over is mine to spend how I want. Likewise to him.

I don't agree with the concept of joint accounts. I work very hard for my salary, I don't intend on letting someone else spend it on car parts.

^^ EXACTLY THIS! What is the obsession with flippin' car parts!!?? ?

Separate accounts are driving me CRAZY!!! We are each paying for our own places, but we move in a couple of months and then we'll bung everything in together. Suits me fine, I earn 2 or more times what he earns. Provided we pay our bills, have our extravagances, and meet our jointly-decided savings goal then he can spend what's left on anything he likes, or I can! I can't wait. We have a joint dog but not a joint house and he owes me for 50% of vaccines and a load of Chappie lol!!!

Separate accounts for our wages but we pay a certain amount into a joint account for bills etc.

Mini, I remember that thread. Some poster suggested that marriage was less valid and not committed enough if you didn't share everything...

Despite the way we do things, I do think the best practical way to do things is to have a bit of both. Although I said I don't have to ask him if I want to buy some new clothes and he doesn't have to ask me to go out with the boys, sometimes I do wince if he's withdrawn a load of cash to blow on a night out. If we had separate accounts for jollies, treats etc, that wouldn't be an issue.

I just couldn't bear going on a date or food shopping and having to split the bill.

We have a joint account that all bills and expenses come out of. Anything left over goes in our house fund. We then get an allowance paid into our personal account which is proportional to our earnings, that's just for stuff like my gym membership and his car parts (hahahah) etc.

Can't really see it changing too much after we are married. Hopefully we shall have a house so our house fund shall become more holiday fund.

I just personally think that if you're making a commitment to each other - whether marriage or other then it should be "for better, for worse" I don't think its fair that I earn more and I keep every penny of it an don't add up the same amount in the joint acc...

That said - If either of us gets a bonus performance at work related we do discuss what we are going to do with it together, whether it be for a joint holiday or maybe one of us needs some individual money for clothes etc...

x

We share everything we have theres no his money, my money its our money. and will obviously stay that way after we're married.

Joint account into which about 60% of our monthly wage gets paid, for all household expenses. The rest is our own to do what we like with. Though in my case this is mostly spending it on professional exams and revision courses for those exams. ☹️

Maybe money is just less of an issue for some people than others? I'm not saying I have loads of cash (far from it) but we've both enjoyed being financially independent our whole lives- what he does with his money is his business, and vice versa. It doesn't bother me in the slightest to split the bill when we go out. We buy each other rounds of drinks, but if we eat- for example- I'll give him some cash for mine, or vice versa. I don't know, it just seems.....fair...and we just do it without question.

And yes, I earn more, but I pay a bigger share of the bills and buy all the groceries, which I also think is fair.

Plus, I am hopeless with money (we both are, really!) and couldn't promise that I wouldn't delve into any joint account and spend it on stuff for me. I am quite impulsive and useless at resisting temptation. This way is better for both of us! We have never argued about money in the 11 years we've been together, which I think shows that it obviously works in our case, although it's not for everyone. ?

The only thing I think would change the situation is if we had a kid. I'm b*ggered if I'm single handedly forking out for nappies, etc.

We have a Joint account for Bills etc we each pay the same amount into each month then the rest of the money is our own to spend how we wish , although my OH earns around 4 times more than me so he tends to pay for treats like meals out and holidays for us both, which works fine for us

Be aware when taking a joint account that if one party has a poor credit rating it will effect the other persons credit rating , so may effect you getting good mortgages and credit in the future see this article http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score#improve

Tip 5 says how you joint fiances can effect you

I think everyone does what suits them and thats good, so many different ways to handle it and everyone has to find their own way. I was just wondering generally if anything would change when married. Ours will change slightly but to be honest it won't necessarily be because of marriage, it will be because we won't be saving for wedding so that money can be put to other joint things. I guess I have learned before we started saving for the wedding too that the more we allowed ourselves in our personal accounts, the more we withered and the less our house got dolled up etc! Priorities have changed I guess. Also its a good starting point for preparing for family life as we will need a more 'family' bank based account by then, not just what we have now - mortgage and bills account!

Personally, just to put my two pence in, I can't imagine splitting 50/50 because it would mean I had (for example) £500 'disposable' cash at the end of month and OH had £200. That makes me :-( Why should I have so much more? Yes, I know I earn more and thats why but I'd rather equalise it and us both be able to do the same amount as each other etc. I know people who do things 50/50, and it makes me so sad that they can't afford to do things with their own friends etc but their OH is out every weekend because they have so much more spare cash than them. Each to their own though, of course.

When OH and I moved in together I was 8mths pregnant. My maternity pay, and every penny of his income and war pensions were needed to keep us alive. 4 years later and I'm still a stay at home mum, so am completely financially dependant on him. I obviously couldn't do this if we didn't have joint finances!

He might earn the money, but it isn't 'his'. If I didn't stay at home with the kids then he couldn't work, but I don't get a wage. I also wouldn't want to feel uncomfortable using money for my hair/nails etc.

When I do return to work my income will go straight into our joint account. Whatever's left each month is OUR spare money, and we will both need to respect the other in spending it. Sole finances just wouldn't work in our future, especially with kids involved because your money is even less your own!I would imagine sole finances could work better if you're both very comfortable financially, I just can't see how it would every work for us.

We both get paid in to our own accounts, we keep back the same amount of money then the rest goes into the joint account. OH earn more than I do, but that doesn't mean he works any harder than I do or more hours. I would hate it if he said 'I earn more, I'm keeping it, I'm going out with my friends, but you can't go out with yours because you spent all your money on petrol.'

In the same way the money I inherited from my family I see as ours. We really are of a whats mine is yours and yours is mine nature. After all I trust him not to waste my money and he trusts me not to waste his. We wouldn't be getting married if it wasn't an equal partnership, and equal to us means everything. Not saying that's the way it has to be done, that's just what works for us.

Well we already live together so don't see why getting married would change the way we manage our finances,

We both have our salary's paid into our own individual accounts.

We have a joint account which we transfer the same amount into to pay rent, utilities etc.

We pay for 2 weekly food shops each per month and just pick up bits and pieces as we need them .

Anything left we are free to spend on whatever we want without question. Not fussed as long as the bills are paid.

Like many others, this will be our set up when we move next month. We haven't done it before as I was a uni student so it was easier for OH to deal with the bills and I pay him directly but now I'm earning we will be moving to this set up.

Yup. We gave quite a unique situation with our finances and mrminis ex partner. I however also recognise the fact that people can fall out if love overnight apparently. Call me a cynic but I am always going to have a bit if money held back just for myself, just in case. I earn quite a bit more than mrmini and tbh am far too bloody independent for my own good to have to rely on anyone else to pay my way.

We have two seperate accounts and a joint account. Half our salary each goes in to the joint account and all bills get paid from that.

This was set up when we bought a house together (many years before we got married).

I think since we have been married the only thing that has changed is it has become a bit more blurry what comes from what account. And we will move money from one account to another without much thought eg if one of us is a bit short in our single accounts we will take some from the joint account.

I think our money situation will probably change a lot more if and when we have children, rather than when we got marred.

At the moment we have seperate accounts as its my house so I pay for everything and he gives me enough money to cover some bills and food each month. We have just opened a joint savings account to save for the wedding. When we get married, things won't change but when we do buy a bigger house then we will get a joint account and pay enough into it to cover mortgage bills etc and keep the rest to ourselves. I earn more than he does and hes not very good with money so he would probably end up spending all my money on rubbish!!!

At the moment it's very silly. Salaries into separate accounts, vast majority into joint account from where mortgage, bills etc are paid. Problem is I own another house that has associated bills at the mo, so it's hard to just amalgamate everything. Problem is, we see our money as our money. Doesn't matter whose account it's in.

After mid March this year, we will change it all. Extra house will be sold in 2 weeks time. Then we will have both salaries into joint account, with standing orders to fill ISAs plus "pocket money" of, say £300 per month each going out from that. Much more sensible for us.