Couples - How do you pay your bills ?

Sadderday

I get paid by the month and the OH by the week. So rent and bills all come from my account at the beginning of each month.

He then transfers money to me each week. Some months he probably goes over his half, some months he may not quite make it to half rent and bills... we dont count it, we just make sure we are both covered all the time.

Problem is, I'm realising that I got paid last week and my account has 0. When he pays up this week I'll go food shopping with him and what I'll have left won't be much.

I don't like having to depend on someone else for money but opening up a joint account might be messy in the end, I suspect I will still need to put most of my wages into it.

Don't get me wrong I love this guy and he is a sweetheart, never see's me stuck etc etc but I'm just wondering how other couples manage and how it works out?

I haven't bought so much as a €10 jumper with my atm card in months and himself is the same... we are managing ... just wondering if people allocate their monies differently.

Any ideas?

TA

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

kkontour

3 accounts.
1 each and a joint for bills

niceoneted

I would suggest looking at all your joint bills over a 12 month period. Work out then how much of your monthly wages should be contributed and how much of his weekly wages. Open a joint account and each transfer this in. Set up all direct debits from that joint account.

poppy1111

We have always had only one account about 16 years, 2 years before we were married. Wouldn't dream of having it any other way. Everything comes into the account eg child benefit, OH wages etc and all bills taken by direct debit. I generally take care of all expenditure-grocery shopping and kids stuff, but if we each need money for something we take it no questions asked. We completely trust each other. Wouldn't dream of splitting the money based on who earns more.( obviously not as I am a stay at home mum!!)

Doodah7

We have a joint account into which we each have a DD set up. All expenses that go with family life such as running the house, groceries, creche fees etc. come out of this account. Any other expenditure by either me or my wife then comes from our own money and accounts.

In this way, there is no issues over buying anything.

polydactyl

Three accounts. Both wages go into jnt account and all bills come out of it. A certain amount of "savings" also goes to our individual accounts also if we have it that month and that's up to us what we do with it ie save it spend it. Handy for buying the other a gift too so it's not like they bought their own birthday present.

Sadderday

Thanks all, a joint account looks to be the norm. Might have to go down that route... must admit though I do like having a few bob on my own card so will have to try work something out

kkontour

Sadderday wrote: »

Thanks all, a joint account looks to be the norm. Might have to go down that route... must admit though I do like having a few bob on my own card so will have to try work something out

Your best friend is the pound in your pocket!:D

thomas anderson.

Open a joint account

D3PO

we have 2 accounts.

I pay all the bills with my account and thankfully also have enough for my social life.

My wife uses her salary for our savings minus a bit for socialising.

realise most people arent lucky enough to be so comfortable though but just said id answer anyway.

Sadderday

D3PO wrote: »

we have 2 accounts.

I pay all the bills with my account and thankfully also have enough for my social life.

My wife uses her salary for our savings minus a bit for socialising.

realise most people arent lucky enough to be so comfortable though but just said id answer anyway.

Thanks, this is kinda my point, all thr bills with my own account, but none left for socialising so even though I've paid up... i still feel like I'm depending on him to support me through the remainder of the month...
Not knowing how much he will get paid is an issue cos I never know what I will have to live off that week and the cash he gives me per week has to include my bus ticket for the week and our half our groceries.

It kinda came up because his car needed fixing last week which left both of us with nothing in our accounts. I dont know how but we have been managing on 30euro between us the last few days, living outta the freezer!, waiting for thursday pay day

But i literally just got paid...... and it's all gone !!, so a joing tit will have to be!

wmpdd3

For the first 16 years, we've never had a joint account.

All I got paid monthly and he was weekly so my pay covered all bills, about 80% of my wages and the other 20% went on savings.

Every week when we got paid (in cash) we split that in half and that was our money and food shopping money for the week. We would take it in turns to pay for the shopping.

Now we have kids though and all thats out the window, we only have one wage.

D3PO

I hear ya Sadderday. I guess its hard to respond to you without realyl knowing your relationship.

if its a long standing loving relationship thats gona probably lead to marriage id say it really doesnt matter who pays for what ultimatly you both need to look at it as a combined income and that means you need to feel comfortable saying to him hey Im broke I need 50 quid for the rest of the week or whatever.

if you dont feel comfortable doing that kind of thing then a joint account with bills being paid from your collective money seems the best way tbh.

Thoie

I'd be inclined to have 73 million accounts, but I'm currently single. The two may be connected

I'd have his and her's accounts (or his/his, hers/hers) where wages get paid into. There'd be a joint current account, where each person pays in the same amount each month to cover bills, food, regular household stuff. There'd be a joint savings account where each person pays in a percentage of their salary (or equal amounts), and that can be used for emergencies/holidays.

If the individuals wanted, they might have separate savings accounts as well, but anything left in their main current accounts is for personal use. Obviously in most relationships that money will merge a bit anyway - he pays for the restaurant this week, she pays for the taxi and buys him socks next week, etc.

OldNotWIse

All the bills go out of the OH's account by DD. We know in advance how much they will be so I can put half into her account before they go out. Rent comes out of mine, OH gives me her share the day before anyway. After that, we pretty much retain control of our own individual money, which I think is important. Then again, we wouldnt be retentive about it. OH forked out for some of my college fees last year when I got stuck (she figures its an investment) but now she is job seeking, I buy all the groceries and beer, the odd night out etc. We dont keep tabs, but whoever has it shares it I guess.

Sadderday

Ahhhhh.... the things we do for love !

Nino Brown

We each have our own accounts. Rent/Bills comes out of my account, each month she transfers her half of rent and bills into my account.

Oral Surgeon

His and her accounts,
I cover mortgages, bills, cars, phones, socializing, holidays, pensions. My wife covers everything else....!!!!

Naux

kkontour wrote: »

3 accounts.
1 each and a joint for bills

We went this route until bank charges kicked back in. Bank charges were between €50 to €80 per account per year. Now we are down to two accounts and we are thinking of moving banks to get free banking.

hmmm

We keep a spreadsheet for household expenses with three columns for myself, OH & total, and add new bills or whatever as we get them - then one of us pays the bill. The spreadsheet also allows us to allocate percentages (e.g. most bills are 50/50, but for some bills one of us might agree to pay more than the other).

Every now and again we balance up with each other by transferring a lump sum.