husband and wife 50/50 with expenses? Interesting to know this!!!!

My husband and I believe that the money that is brought into the house is not his/mine, it is ours. He chose not to have his name anywhere on the bank account, so I have to handle the finances. That works fine for us, but only because we don't try to hide anything from each other. If he asks how much is in the bank, i tell him, if he asks to see the check book, I show him. If he asks me to take money out for him, I do it as long as I know that the bills are covered first. I don't think that a 50/50 style would work for us at all. I guess it does for some people, but to me, when you are married, everything is for the entire family.

My husband and I know that our bills are about $2,000 a month so we each put $250 a week from our paychecks in the “bill” account and the remainder goes in to the “spending” account. Both of us use the spending account and never has either one of us said I put X amount in so I get to spend more then you. We both use it for what we want. We also both know that’s all we get for the week. We respect that one of us may need more then the other because of gas in the car or because I use some of the “spending” for extra groceries. See we budget $150 a month in groceries and any thing over that has to come from the spending account. Same with gas we budget $100 a month from our bill account anything over that comes from the spending account. The reason we put equal amounts in the bill account is neither one of us brings home $500 a week at this point (sad isn’t it!) I work part time and although he works full time half his paycheck goes to child support for his 2 kids from a previous relationship. Boy it would be nice if we had is entire paycheck only 6 more years on one kid and 10 more on the other … I know that’s mean of me but if you knew the whole story you wouldn’t think so. My point is we both pay the bills equally but not because we have separate accounts or anything but because its what works for the way we budget.

When I got married 22 years ago, my wife and I decided that we will open a joint account, from which we will draw for paying household expenses and bills. How much we each contribute to this joint account depends on each of our earning ability. We are both university graduates, came out to work almost the same time, so we didn't earn too differently from one another. Therefore our contribution to the joint account was almost equal. This arrangement worked well for us through all these years, and still do. Sometimes we vary the amount of giving because of changes in income, and we normally don't count every penny that goes in. Not once have we quarreled over our contributions to the joint account. I guess in an arrangement like this, if one party does not work and earn, then the other party has to contribute the lion's share to the household bills.

My fiance and I aren't going to be splitting anything like that. It's our money so while we do have separate accounts we still consider it our money. We did have a joint account but having no job and making money online, we had to have separate accounts. In any case, I think that a man and woman should spend together and not apart, and if one doesn't work any money that the one who doesn't work does retrieve should be considered to be used as part of the bills, or used for a day out, etc. To each their own though, and I respect your using your money as you wish, I know though that if I were to not work and my fiance do, I would consider any money I make as our money, as I do now.

I think this is no laughing matter as this setup will kill!~ This legalism / religious setup is so rigid & selfish, well, at least that's my humble opinion!~When it comes to marriage, it's about a covenant of love & was that not the foundation in the beginning? If not, I think things will definitely go haywire along the way!~Of course both the husband & wife takes equal responsibility but in such a rigid manner!~

Well if it works fine for them then so be it. I heard similar cases among my friends too and I guess it's only applicable for those who ar earning well and has more or less the same income range. We cannot do that because I don't have a permanent job and we don't have a joint account as well. My husband does most of the bills as of the moment but am helping too.

That is really interesting to know about that kind of set up. I and my hubby are combining our earnings, when I was yet working. I quit working few months ago and now he is the only one earning. But I am the one controlling the budget. He will give his salary to me. I just give him allowance for what he needs. We both agreed of what and how much to spend and with what. It is just funny to hear a married couple having that kind of set up. It might be normal if they are not married.

I could be completely wrong, but I think that couples who split 50/50 are those who have trouble emotionally giving 100% or surrendering 100% of their love. I think it is a power struggle that is indicative of the power struggle that goes on in their heart with being married in general. In other words, I think it's a way of saying "you can have THIS much of me, but I'm reserving some of me that YOU can't have!"

I am not married yet but when I do get married I would not like it to be this way. I would like to think that we can trust and love each other enough so that we do not feel anything one thing belongs solely to either of us. My mum and dad have always shared everything and it is my mother that has always kept an eye on the finances. My father has always trusted her and it has worked well for over 30 years!

i don't have any issues if ever we shared 50/50. But i have been here for years and my visa doesn't allow me yet to work, so sorry for hubby i can't give that 50/50 thing he needs. Besides, he doesn't mind it at all if he shoulders all of our expenses including his parents. But i would be glad to help if i have too. This work online will be just an extra income, but i don't consider it as an exchange for a regular paying job. If i can find and be allowed to work, i will do that, no questions asked. About joint account and separate account, i don't know if this country i am now would allow me to open up anew. Not unless i applied for international bank, probably they will allow it, but i am not sure. i would like to have a separate account and i also like a joint account with hubby.

We started like that, then we merged into one account, because that is just so much easier. He does our finances, but we both have unlimited access to OUR account. We are both owners of OUR account. I can spend what I want to, and so can he. Large purchases are discussed first, but he pays all the bills, and I just shop. Works very well for us. :)

yea, not I am a SAHM so I do not share in our cost 50/50 I do however keep our house clean, him feed, clothes clean etc.

lol... I've heard couples like that and their arrangement works for them, its just strange for me. Coz they're like brothers and sisters in a transaction... lol... We're pretty much the same, hubby takes care of all the expenses in our house, he gives me his whole salary and he just takes a certain amount for his allowance. I do the budgeting and separate certain portions for the groceries, utility bills, wage of the maid, my own allowance and some for our monthly savings. I sell my artworks and I earn from them. My earnings remain to be my own and he does not take it from me. But I save them for future investments, the things i've earned from my paintings and part of his salary that i've saved when combined is the one i use to buy our own pc and other stuff in the house. We talk about the stuff we wish to buy and we compromise how much part of our savings will be used. 50/50 is not the case for us, my husband believes he's the provider and the man of the house and its a good thing... at some point i love being a woman... lol...

I did taxes this year for a local CPA, and we came upon a couple similar to this. They filed jointly, but each had their share of the property taxes and any charitable donations were in one name or the other. They even had copies of the tax checks, showing that each spouse wrote a check for 1/2 of the amount owed. My husband's and my checks go into a joint account where the bills are paid from. We each have an amount that separately goes into our own savings accounts, and we kind of consider it our personal "play" money. But, we don't track anything to insure that we're each paying for 50% of the household's expenses.

My hubby and me have individual accounts too and whatever we spend for the family, we spend from our individual accounts and salary cheques. If not exactly 50/50 then I think its almost equal of how much each of us spend though it might not be always in cash. My hubby pays all the bills and I pay for our son’s education, for various AMCs of machineries and also some fixed insurance savings for our son’s future education. That way the burden is not too much on any particular person yet the things do get done.

I have always made more money than my husband, even now on unemployment I am bringing more home. I handle all of the finances. All of the money, goes into the checking account, and I handle the bills. I know of people who split bills etc. I even know a woman who does not contribute to the mortgage at all, she pays only her personal bills, (selfish). Our method works very well, with the little money we have.

The wife is certainly, what can I call her, maybe 'lovely'? I work, so does my husband but he would never even dream of asking for me to contribute 10%! I contribute as I see fit. But isn't it the husband's responsibility to care for the wife materially, whether or not she makes money. Like the others have said, maybe there's not much of a marriage to talk about there.

I'm a full time house wife. When my husband was still here, (he is now working abroad) he gave me his ATM and I take care all the bills, then we would go to the grocery and buy stuffs for the house. He would just ask for some allowance from me. Then the rest of the moneys is mine (hehe) to save. I just tell him if we lack some money (he'll find extra work) or we had saved a lot for this month. Now that he's abroad he send me almost all his salary and left himself a little sum for his allowance. He knows that all of his money goes to bills, food and our child need. I'm not into clothes or jewelries or make ups, etc. so we don't argue about my spendings.

This sort of lifestyle seems sort of greedy. In my relationship, i believe what's mine is also hers. Living like this seems like a bad way to connect and share with each other

I don't think that would work for my relationship. I know that some people use money as power in relationships so I can understand the thought process behind splitting expenses 50/50. The problem for me is that there are necessary and beneficial things people do that don't earn money. If you don't work outside the home you still work. It takes time, energy, and talent to manage a household. If my partner comes home from a really bad day and I'm able to be there, listen to him, offer advice and support, in addition to having taken care of the household, isn't that as valuable as paying half the electric bill?