How do you split the bills with your S/O?

Tsal · #1 10-04-2008, 06:57 AM

I've talked about this with my friends who live in relationships, and I was surprised how different approaches people take with splitting the bills, especially with groceries and other smaller stuff. Some of my friends have a system where other pays for groceries, and the other the rent/water/electricity monthlies. Some split the monthly bills, and just take turns going shopping et al.

Personally, me and my girlfriend are keen to split everything: we save all the receipts, and mark up the payer and if one of us bought something the other doesn't use. Roughly once a month we gather all the receipts and calculate the balance - it takes about 10 minutes, but we figure it saves us from quarreling over money, especially as we are both students, and live on very limited income.

What kind of approach you guys have?

wazzel · #2 10-04-2008, 08:47 AM

I pay for everything. I am married and my wife is a stay at home mom.

Lazylion · #3 10-05-2008, 07:37 PM

My wife split and left me with the bills. Does that count?

awakefie · #4 10-05-2008, 07:41 PM

I pay the bills. My wife has her hands full with our daughter. I am involved as much as I can be, but mommy is her "go to" when life gets tough. To me, that's worth a million (or more) dollars (or less euros as the dollar devalues).

theshadow2001 · #5 10-05-2008, 07:50 PM

I would of thought the easiest way would be for one person to pay the bill and the other does an electronic bank transfer into their account for half. Cut down the middle exactly and no messing with cash sums with awkward numbers like €73.37or whatever.

Munjibunga · #6 10-05-2008, 08:37 PM

I earn the money to pay the bills, and she pays 'em.

Mark Latimour · #7 10-06-2008, 04:12 AM

We each chuck an amount of cash into a joint bank account once a month (ie payday) and all the bills come out of that account by direct debit. We also have bank cards for that account which we use for "joint" expenses. However, in practice a lot of the time one of us pays (for like a dinner) and the next time the other pays. We don't stress too much about finances because we don't spend a lot of money (on joint stuff) and we both earn reasonable salaries. The joint account system has always worked best for me as it allows you to retain some money for discretionary spending.

**Rune Bivrin** · #8 10-06-2008, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Latimour

We each chuck an amount of cash into a joint bank account once a month (ie payday) and all the bills come out of that account by direct debit. We also have bank cards for that account which we use for "joint" expenses. However, in practice a lot of the time one of us pays (for like a dinner) and the next time the other pays. We don't stress too much about finances because we don't spend a lot of money (on joint stuff) and we both earn reasonable salaries. The joint account system has always worked best for me as it allows you to retain some money for discretionary spending.

+1

In theory it doesn't matter, since in Sweden if you're married you own everything together, except items that are explicitly exempt in a prenuptial agreement. In practice there will always be some degree of "own" money.

Right now my wife is studying to become a psychologist. That's a five year education, so I'm paying pretty much everything at the moment.

SuperDuck · #9 10-06-2008, 06:20 AM

My wife and I have a joint checking account. I physically pay the bills, but most of our money is pooled to begin with.

pointbass · #10 10-06-2008, 06:21 AM

My day gig base salary is used to pay all of our monthly expenses. Commissions and bonuses go towards savings/investments first, and if it's a particularly good month, some luxuries that we might want to spend money on (vacations, special occasions, etc). Gig money goes towards savings unless I need to get some gear-related stuff. My wife is semi-retired and any money she makes goes exclusively towards savings.

My wife handles all of our bill paying and is in control of all of the money .... she's very good at controlling our finances. I sit down with her once a week and go over everything, it helps to know where we are financially, especially during these crummy economic times .....

Phalex · #11 10-06-2008, 06:42 AM

Split?

All our money goes into the bank. Same bank, same account. Gig money pays for beer and dinner out once and a while as well as being pocket money (mostly for me).

Asa Samuel · #12 10-06-2008, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazylion

My wife split and left me with the bills. Does that count?

Sucks but LOL.

DWBass · #13 10-06-2008, 07:10 AM

Split? Pfffft! My check (and my wife's) goes in the (single account) bank and my wife does all the bill paying. I rarely see any of my money except when I go buy something.

jwbassman · #14 10-06-2008, 07:28 AM

It all goes into the joint accounts, savings and checking and the bills get paid. Simple. We work as a team, there's no "It's my money", same goes for me when I want equipment or basses, usually I run it past her first. (notice I said usually

, it's a lot easier to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes

)

CapnSev · #15 10-06-2008, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I earn the money to pay the bills, and she pays 'em.

+1

Me too.

MakiSupaStar · #16 10-06-2008, 10:18 AM

I make the money and I pay them. Pretty much like that.

kasanovakarl · #17 10-06-2008, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I earn the money to pay the bills, and she pays 'em.

+1

Half of my check goes into "her" account and the other half goes into "my" account. (Those of you who are married know what's yours is hers, and what's hers is...hers.) She basically takes care of the bills, minus my credit card bills for gas, school, and whatnot. I still am informed as to how much bills are and where the money's going. Its always good to be informed.

PaleMelanesian · #18 10-06-2008, 10:42 AM

Joint account, all income goes into that account, all bills paid from that account.

EricF · #19 10-06-2008, 10:54 AM

We have 3 accounts - hers, mine, and ours. We each contribute to our "house" account, which covers house, kids, food, joint entertainment and other combined expenses. Whatever we have left in our own accounts is ours do do with as we wish. We both understand that house and family is priority #1 no matter what. We both make decent money, and this system has worked well for us over the past 5 years to ensure that our bills are paid, our family is taken care of, but we each have some financial independence.

Pilgrim · #20 10-06-2008, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

Split?

All our money goes into the bank. Same bank, same account. Gig money pays for beer and dinner out once and a while as well as being pocket money (mostly for me).

That's about it. One bank account, both of us are salaried with direct deposit into that account. My wife manages the family funds. When either of us has a big expense, we talk about it. I play mostly benefit gigs, so there's no money from that source.