Do you have seperate money from your wife?

[Ahleckz]

My gf usually finds out she's got no money left when the cash machine doesn't let her withdraw anything. Combine that with direct debits that are late going out, she usually gets bank charges monthly.

Like hell am I putting my money in the same account as that!

We have the same gf!

 

[tom_nieto]

We just recently set up a joint account, paid in a set amount each and used this for shopping and meals out etc. Has been a great way of sharing money and treating ourselves.

 

[The IPB]

Me and my wife have seperate accounts she pays the mortgage and I pay for everything else we do.

I did once talk about a joint account but she wasn't bothered with it so we didn't.

We don't lend each other money I'll pay for her she will pay for me, it's our money just in seperate accounts.

We both earn pretty much the same amount.

 

[Myshra]

We have both single and joint accounts (married, incomes within 5% of each other). Wages land in solo, move everything bar a bit into the joint and pay everything out through the joint unless it's web stuff in which case it's usually out of the solos (I'd rather be naturally cautious here).

International items are done through the single accounts so we can keep track of it as it's mostly work related. I'd say 99% of stuff we use the joint for though, the solo accounts are there for utility purposes.

 

[Metallifux]

Seperate accounts. I have a spreadsheet which takes our seperate earnings and calculates the outgoings of which we have most from my account and some from hers. It then calculates how much spare cash there is left over after all bills and splits it equally calculating how much one person needs to pay the other to make us equal. As I earn more I nearly always end up giving her money. This way all bills are covered and we have the same amount of cash each. Any incidentals are split.

 

[TheBro]

Married for almost 3 years and me and the wife have separate accounts. I earn about 10x as much as the wife though so most things like bills/food/clothes comes out of my account and we use her account as a sort of emergency pot or savings account. I have no problem with giving the wife my credit card when she goes shopping as I know she is responsible and wont buy crazy things at crazy prices like a £200 handbag. That’s why I have complete trust in her spending as she does of mine even though I love gadgets and technology and am always buying the latest phone or tablet she never screws at me.

So I don’t think it really matters wither the account is joint or not as for me the main important thing is the ability to trust your partner with spending habits and also allow them to purchase things which they have a hobby for as long as it is within their means.

 

[[Damien]]

We have the same gf!

Haha, maybe. The stupid thing is, she actually earns more than me! I'm in the process of clearing some old credit card debt I ran up while in a previous relationship so I am uber strict with my money. Not that I won't spend it if it's appropriate, but I keep track of my expenditures like my life depended on in and check my online banking daily.

We both agree that any joint account will have to be managed by me...

 

[rgzcampbell]

My wife and I both have our separate current accounts that our salaries are paid into, a standing order moves a set amount into a joint account which is used for mortgage, bills, food, eating out etc and into a savings account. I earn slightly more than my wife so I pay a larger amount into the joint account so we both have the same disposable income to spend on what we like.

 

[NotAGolf]

Both get paid into our own accounts, but then we pay the same amount into the joint account every month. Works out at about 70% of my takehome, nearer 80% for her.

Everything comes out of the joint account apart from personal spending. So groceries, mortgages, bills, meals out, petrol, holidays, furniture etc all come out of the joint. Then what we have left over we are free to do as we wish, so I spend it on gadgets and bikes while she spends it on clothes and neither of us have feel bad that we're spending more money than the other like we would if it was from the joint!

If we're saving for something more pricey (e.g. new kitchen/holiday etc) then we just put more into the joint account each month so have less 'fun' money.

 

[Dj_Jestar]

I'm as good as married. I've shared a joint account with my girlfriend for over 3 years. We've been living together just as long, too.

We both maintain our own bank accounts, but have standing orders into a joint account for which bills etc. come out of. We pay different amounts into the account because we earn significantly different amounts (there's a £20k per annum difference between us.) Holidays, Restaurant bills, day trips, house hold applicances etc. are funded by the joint account - providing it's for the both of us! If only one of us is going to get anything out of it, then they pay for it on their own.

We treat each other every now and then to a night out that one of us will pay for, such as the other person's birthday.

We're finding this works well. Impromptu nights out with friends, or impulse purchasing means absolutely no guilt. Not that those sharing a joint account may feel guilty, but we're more comfortable knowing that if I want to spend money frivolously on games/gadgets/etc. then it won't bother her, and likewise what she spends her money on doesn't bother me.

Though I imagine that when we have kids it'll change to a single joint account for everything going in/out and, hopefully, enough to keep a savings account/isa going on the side for the future.

 

[booyaka]

Both our wages go into the same pot, everything paid out of this pot.

Never had any issues and we have been doing this for 10 years.

this - never had any issues in 10 years. I earn at least double what my wife makes and we've never had any arguments over money, who spends what or any hassle.

 

[Black Dynamite]

Our salaries are put into separate bank accounts, then each month we both transfer money into our joint account for the mortgage payments plus some extra for holidays and weekends away. I pick up the rest of the bills from my separate account.

Like somebody else has said if I suggest going out I pay, if the mrs suggests it she pays, but we don't keep count, at the end of the day if either one of us said "you pay" that would be fine!

We're both left with a similar amount at the end of each month to do whatever we want, if I want to give it to that nice Nigerian man who emails me that's my problem.

 

[GinG]

Been with the girlfriend about 7 years, we bought a house 2 years ago. Since moving in we decided to do Joint accounts.

It works very well...apart from when I want to buy beer!

We never have arguements over money, if we want to get something we do (no bother going out buying 50" TV out of joint, Car etc etc). End of day what mine is hers and what hers is hers.

Hate hearing people together having to split things or one complain they are skint etc...

End of day the best thing is what feels and works right for you. I do not think there is a right or wrong answer.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

We pay different amounts into the account because we earn significantly different amounts (there's a £20k per annum difference between us.)

Sorry for the <snip> but this has come up a number of times and just to add what I imagine is a counter-balance to this, my wife earns about $70k (35 grand UK, sorry no pound symbol here) more p.a. than I do and I earn a substantial wage already. Don't worry, this isn't an e-peen thing, I mention it only because I imagine most male posters earn more than their other halves.

My point is that this works out fine. The salaries go into one account and if we want to buy stuff then we do; we don't need a separate account, or our 'own' account money, to make this happen.

 

[Castiel]

Sorry for the <snip> but this has come up a number of times and just to add what I imagine is a counter-balance to this, my wife earns about $70k (35 grand UK, sorry no pound symbol here) more p.a. than I do and I earn a substantial wage already. Don't worry, this isn't an e-peen thing, I mention it only because I imagine most male posters earn more than their other halves.

My point is that this works out fine. The salaries go into one account and if we want to buy stuff then we do; we don't need a separate account, or our 'own' account money, to make this happen.

The same, over the course of our relationship I have earned more and I've earned less....currently I earn far less...but it doesn't matter as our income is effectively the sum total of our individual incomes and that is the figure that gets used to work out budgets etc..... Basically it is like a company who has more than a single stream of revenue, it still contributes to the overall liquidity of the whole. So when my wife gets a pay rise, we get a pay rise and so on.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

Basically it is like a company who has more than a single stream of revenue, it still contributes to the overall liquidity of the whole. So when my wife gets a pay rise, we get a pay rise and so on.

I was actually thinking of you as I typed my post and this is rather brilliantly put. Thank you, again.

 

[branddaly]

My Wife and I have separate accounts. All the bills come out of my account, she transfers her portion into my account. I don't think a joint account would suit us; I'd resent the amount she spends on shoes, and she'd go ballistic if she realised how much I spend on gadgets.

 

[Stolly]

Separate accounts, i had it all setup to come out of mine before we even met. She moved into my house.

We've moved a few times since then but cba to change it for no benefit. She doesn't earn enough to pay for any of the bills anyway.

 

[randomshenans]

Magnolia, ours is similar, as we go in to one account. What normally causes issues is her pride, thinking she has to ask to get something, but then I willy nilly buy stuff and she gets funny.

She's used to being so independent and hates not being but the fact is our wage difference is about 100k and again, no epeen, but we couldn't live off her wages. I often treat her etc. and she's currently putting all her wages in to the wedding fund, as I want her to feel like (as she mentioned it prior) that it will be me paying for it anyway.

We don't often argue, but if we do it will probably be because I've bought something and not told her, or because of something like that. Strong willed woman and stubborn!

 

[PistolPete]

Personal Accounts and a Joint account - Wages / Income comes into the seperate accounts and we SO each month from our separate accounts into the joint and all bills, direct debits etc come from that account, that leaves us with some cash each in our own accounts to spend / save.

Going out and stuff like that gets paid out of the joint unless it's a birthday or something like that and the other will pay.