Married Folks: Do you have separate bank accounts?

[Gunslinger08]

Before one of my co-workers got married a few years ago, I had no idea that some people keep separate bank accounts after they're married. Do you?

 

[Homerboy]

This has been covered here with very heated arguments several times I think.

 

[highland145]

Her $$ is my $$ and my $$ is my $$.


She's unemployed.

 

[RedRooster]

Yup. Too lazy to change, don't see the point. I'll give her money anytime she asks, but she doesn't cuz she's a quality woman who earns her keep. Sadly, almost more than me.

 

[HAL9000]

Getting married next year, joint accounts.

 

[geno]

No poll?

Anyways, no, we don't keep separate accounts. I don't value money so much that I'd have to keep "my" stash separate from "hers". We pool it together and spend it as we please.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

Nope, it is ours not mine and hers.

 

[CVSiN]

1 community account that each dumps in predesignated amounts for community bills and household needs.

after that each has own account.
saves ALOT of heartache and BS especially if the marriage goes bad..

my ex cleaned my accounts out to get her own place when she left me..

left me with 2 dollars for an entire pay period.
after that never again..

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Joint.




Anyone got a light?

 

[dullard]

Both joint and separate here.

All of my paycheck, except for $200, goes into the joint account. All of her paycheck, except for $200, goes into the joint account. That last $200 goes into our separate accounts. We pay all bills from our joint account. Any splurges, gifts, or other things that often cause fights amoungst married couples comes from our separate accounts.

If I want to blow $1000 on anything, that is fine, I just save up a few months. Anything at all, she can't complain (well except for if I spend it on other women, but that won't ever happen). Same with her.

The only real question is when there is a joint item that is mostly for one person. Like a new computer, is it for us or for her? So far, we've done those things through the joint account without any complaints.

 

[monk3y]

We were married for a year with our own accounts. Just changed it to one this past December. No problems and it has really helped with communicating our financial goals.

 

[RbSX]

This topic has been beaten to death many times over.

My exgirlfriend and I had joint bank accounts to cover expenses like groceries and rent.

Unfortunately it opened up the debate as to how much each of us contributed.

 

[silverpig]

Main account is joint. We do have separate "legacy" accounts which we keep for convenience right now, but we are moving towards consolidation.

 

[bignateyk]

No, it's much easier to handle the finances if everything is centralized to 1 account.

We have 1 checking account and 1 credit card. The only thing separate is our retirement.

 

[Dirigible]

Separate accounts all the way. Since I earn big money I live life large and buy whatever the heck I want. Since she spends all her time taking care of the children and the household, she earns no money at all and only gets food or medical care if I have deem her sufficiently well behaved. I make sure the house is divided into halves as well. My half is heated and comfy and has cable tv and stuff. Her half is cold and miserable, without even OTA tv. The kids, of course, love me best since when they are in my half of the house they have toys to play with and plenty to eat, but when they're with their mother it's nothing but thin gruel and shivering under a threadbare coverlet.

All couples should do things this way.

 

[TuxDave]

Joint except we have a system. I direct deposit into the joint checking account and use it to pay off all my bills etc.... and when that's been resolved then I sweep in the leftovers into the joint savings that we can pull from for other expenses.

She also has the same thing where she direct deposits into a 3rd account (checking) to pay off her expenses and then sweeps it into the global pile.

 

[Mermaidman]

Separate accounts all the way. Since I earn big money I live life large and buy whatever the heck I want. Since she spends all her time taking care of the children and the household, she earns no money at all and only gets food or medical care if I have deem her sufficiently well behaved. I make sure the house is divided into halves as well. My half is heated and comfy and has cable tv and stuff. Her half is cold and miserable, without even OTA tv. The kids, of course, love me best since when they are in my half of the house they have toys to play with and plenty to eat, but when they're with their mother it's nothing but thin gruel and shivering under a threadbare coverlet.

All couples should do things this way.

Almost TheFlyingPig quality, but not quite.

Oh--I vote for joint accounts.

 

[lokiju]

No. Combined.

My good friend who's already been divorced once is currently planning on keeping accounts separate once he gets married again.

 

[Hacp]

50% of you are going to regret having joint accounts.

 

[RedRooster]

50% of you are going to regret having joint accounts.

Oh come on, they're in love! What could possibly go wrong?

 

[HAL9000]

50% of you are going to regret having joint accounts.

Not nessecarily. The statistic is 50% of weddings end in divorces. But not all divorces with joint accs end with people arguing over money.

 

[ponyo]

Have several single accounts along with joint accounts. You can't pay for hookers and blow from a joint acct.

 

[Bignate603]

Joint.

 

[Turin39789]

Both joint and separate here.

All of my paycheck, except for $200, goes into the joint account. All of her paycheck, except for $200, goes into the joint account. That last $200 goes into our separate accounts. We pay all bills from our joint account. Any splurges, gifts, or other things that often cause fights amoungst married couples comes from our separate accounts.

If I want to blow $1000 on anything, that is fine, I just save up a few months. Anything at all, she can't complain (well except for if I spend it on other women, but that won't ever happen). Same with her.

The only real question is when there is a joint item that is mostly for one person. Like a new computer, is it for us or for her? So far, we've done those things through the joint account without any complaints.

This is our setup as well, with joint savings on top of it all. Best of both worlds imho, 99% is joint, but you both have a small slush fund so you can buy stupid things without talking each other into it.

 

[rcpratt]

This topic has been covered ad nauseam on ATOT, but I won't be marrying a girl unless I trust her enough to have joint accounts.

Small separate accounts on top of that with with a little spending money each month sounds like a good idea as well.