Bills a/c Current a/c Savings a/c advice

[lilacclery]

Planning ahead for 2014
Currently bills come out by dd from my current a/c & mortgage from dhs we split bills evenly & joint account is not an option as we have different spending habits plus dh can't see the point!

Currently I pay some money each week off utility bills & try but fail to leave money in account for other bills. Get paid weekly.

I'm debating whether to transfer bills money into an online account & transfer back when dd is due or should I change all dd to come out of this account & just set up a weekly standing order to cover bills?

[DipMeInChocolate]

I have a DD account. It works really well. DH and I get paid at different times of the month so it helps knowing where we are. I do a tfr monthly to cover all DDs so I know our current account is spending money.

[Roshbegosh]

I agree an account into which you both put an agreed amount each payday to cover all bills is sensible. It needs to be in joint names of course even if your other accounts aren't. As things change in the future the money going into that account can be adjusted easily and money for all bills will always be set aside first, preventing stress in future.

By the way if anything happened to one of you the other wouldn't be able to access the bank account in the other person's name. It is worth thinking about changing the names on the account even if you agree to keep the money separately.

[chocoshopoholic]

We have a joint bills account. We get paid roughly the same so both transfer by standing order the same amount in each (me monthly, DP in weekly amounts).

This leaves us spending money in our own accounts to do with what we please, and enough in the joint account to take care of mortgage, utilities, etc.

[LittleBearPad]

We do the same as choco. Joint account funded by us both for bills, mortgage etc and then we keep the same amount back in our own accounts for our own spending.

[specialsubject]

The 'best' interest rates are actually from current accounts at the moment. Set up with Lloyds or TSB and you have a current account which pays a bit of interest. If you have lots of bills the Santander 123 may also be worth the £2 a month fee as it pays cash back.

[lilacclery]

In Ireland so bank offers won't apply.
Ye've kinda confirmed what I thought have all dd out of one account.

[addictedtosugar]

The other way to manage it might be to pay everyone's money into a joint account, and then take out spending money into the individual accounts. You only spend from your account, but all the bill money (and any left overs!) stay accessible to both of you in case of e.g. new washing machine being required (like yesterday )

[lilacclery]

Dh completely against joint account always has been

[Roshbegosh]

But you are married. Is it secrecy on his part or doesn't he trust you?

[lilacclery]

Not a trust issue just different spending habits & maybe lingering feelings from his first marriage, just doesn't see the point & I don't feel Ita important enough to push.