Does my low wages income mean pointless having joint a/c with new husband?

[TemporaryUsernameAIBU]

I’m on NMW
6 hour min contract.

It’s been up to 18 hours a week during this busy Christmas time, but no doubt will drop to 6 hours a week in January, and once our maternity leave staff returns in Spring (if she does), 6 hours indefinitely,

My only other income is £34 a week Child Benefit. So I’m on about £340-ish a month if I do my min contracted hours only.

My new husband is self employed, runs his own business a couple decades, no idea how much he earns, he’s constantly chasing unpaid invoices.

Our monthly household bills rent, utilities, Internet, phones, car fuel x2, food, etc is about £2,000 he pays all the bills as has credit cards, I don’t.
My own direct debits are about £90 month
No Child Tax Credit income either because they overpaid so will be paying back that £5 grand forever (they take it out of the award, leaving us with almost zero, £30 a month).

Neither of us have been married before, and only he’s had a joint account with a long term partner before, but that girlfriend was in a much better salary than I’m on and he was earning more then.

Kids are 10 and 12 but neither ‘streetwise’ and have never been left at home alone. We’ve juggled the childcare by my having evening and weekend shifts. Don’t know the plan for the long summer holidays next year though! They can’t go into work with him (industrial unit ).

Is it worth us having a joint account?

.......ummm.......what did you do before he was your "new"husband? Presumably he was your "old" boyfriend/partner (is he the father of the children?) why does being married change things?

You really needed to discuss this with him before you got married. But as you didn't......do it now. You need to agree how to share bills and spending money and how to save. Could he employ you to do the admin side of things, such as chasing invoices .....would that help you feel you are contributing more and free up his time?

Might be with getting the children involved as well ......get them used to being financially savvy.

Yes, he was a boyfriend before becoming recently married, hence the ‘new’ husband term.

I didn’t have a joint account with him before I was married to him, which is why I’m asking about it now I am.

It isn’t relevant whether the children are his or not.

It has been discussed with him before getting married this year, and again discussing now.

No, I can’t help with invoice chasing. I’m no good at maths not telephone.

Why are you being so defensive in your second post?

It really depends what you want out of the joint account? Why do you want to do it? That'll determine if its worthwhile or not.

My husband and I have a joint account where we pay £700 each per month into it; that covers household bills etc. Household bills is the reason we do it so everything is covered fairly. The rest of our wage is ours and stays in our own accounts.

It is relevant whether he's their father. Were you supporting them alone before you met him? Does their father support them financially?

There’s no defence, it may just be how it’s written down, the tone looks wrong.

I don’t want anything out of the joint account. I’m not extravagant at all, whereas he is. I’m just wondering if it’s a good idea and hoping for some opinions without making this a TAAT.

Does he want a joint account? Do you?
Just do what works best for you as a couple.
I assume if you don’t have a joint account, he’ll have far more disposable income each month that you?

@TheBeastInMsRooneysRoom

Oh I see.
Yes I was a lone parent for many years before I met my now husband.
No, their bio father is absent and has never financially supported them, and never will. There’s no contact and never will be.

He’s self employed - how does he manage his business vs personal income?

But broadly, I am a great believer in a single account for all income and all bills;’ nothing is ‘mine’ or ‘his’ everything is ours. ‘All that I have I share with you’ and all that.

@Elbeagle I don’t know what his disposable income is, but he takes responsibility for all the bills except my petrol and mine and kids food (he buys his own). I’d just like to contribute towards the household expenses in some way even if a small way considering my low income.

Oh a TAAT. Makes more sense now, otherwise it’s a pretty random question.
If you both want a joint account and it makes sense to get one, then have one. If you don’t, and it doesn’t, then don’t. There is no right or wrong way to organise finances, as long as one party isn’t being forced to lead a dramatically more frugal life than the other.
I’m currently a SAHM so we have a joint account. When I earned more than DH we had a joint account. Suits us, but might not suit everyone.

Are you talking about an actual joint account or are you talking about equalising your finances so you both have access to equal spending money?

To me, the former is neither here nor there but I do think each partner should have equal access to spending money.