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Original poster

Simple maths question...

54 replies

Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 09:52

If my DHs income is 35% of mine, does that mean he'd always pay 35% of all outgoings? (Rather than 50%)

OP posts:
Seeline · 03/03/2022 09:54

It's not really a maths question....

How you split your finances as a married couple is up to you.

Original poster
Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 09:55

I'm trying to look at it from a mathematical POV (to know what's the "fair share").

OP posts:
Seeline · 03/03/2022 09:57

In that case, if he pays 35% of all outgoings how much does he have left at the end?
Does he have a say in those outgoings?

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Original poster
Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 10:03

The outgoings are the absolute basic (mortgage, bills, food, nursery). If he were to pay 35% he'd keep 25% of his salary

OP posts:
Ifailed · 03/03/2022 10:04

presumably the 35% is after tax & NI - what about pension?

Original poster
Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 10:05

Yes it's after pension

OP posts:
DoormatBob · 03/03/2022 10:05

If you go down that route its not that simple. You are saying he earns £35 for every £100 you make.

If you had a £100 expense you would be asking him to pay all of his money whilst you pay £65 and keep £35 to yourself. I would say that is unfair.

One way is to multiply the expense by 1.35 and then divide that my 1.65 so you pay around £82 and he pays £18 both then having £17-18 leftover.

lemongreentea · 03/03/2022 10:06

if you pay 65% how much of your salary do you get to keep percentage wise?

MintMocha · 03/03/2022 10:09

You could also say that he earns 26% of the total household income
(if he earns £35, for your £100; that's 35/135)

So that would be one way of splitting things.

But it's really not a maths issue at all, but what choices you both make and both bring to the partnership.

Original poster
Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 10:13

If I pay 65% of the core outgoings I keep 50% of my income. HOWEVER I cover all extras (holidays, eating out, clothes, insurance) etc..

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 03/03/2022 10:19

Why is there a disparity in pay? Just because of the professions (lawyer vs nurse for example), he works part time around childcare responsibilities... or because he likes 2 days off to play computer games while paying for child to be at nursery? All these change the meaning of "fair".

Basically... does your arrangement leave you both with fair leftover money and time.

Qwill · 03/03/2022 10:20

Wouldn’t it be easier to just get everything paid into a joint account and have all outgoings from there?

Original poster
Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 10:25

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Why is there a disparity in pay? Just because of the professions (lawyer vs nurse for example), he works part time around childcare responsibilities... or because he likes 2 days off to play computer games while paying for child to be at nursery? All these change the meaning of "fair".

Basically... does your arrangement leave you both with fair leftover money and time.

Yes, it's profession based, we both work FT
OP posts:
CharacterForming · 03/03/2022 10:29

Mathematically he should pay 26% and you should pay 74% because your income is almost three times his. As PP said, his share of the household income is 35/135ths, so 26%
Him paying 35% of the bills is not the right answer no matter which way you look at it.

Gladioli23 · 03/03/2022 10:30

Wouldn't it make more sense to both put in e.g. 75% of your salaries to a single joint pot and then pay for insurance, holidays etc out of it?

Obviously that would result in you having more spare money than your husband and that depends if you think that's okay.

MojoJojo71 · 03/03/2022 10:31

Personally I think if you are married then your money should all go in one pot. Put it all together, take out money for bills, food, travel etc then decide together on an amount that should go into savings and an equal amount each for personal spends.

TheSmallAssassin · 03/03/2022 10:32

Either he pays 26% of everything, as he earns 26% of the household income (100 x 35/135), you put everything in one account and pay for absolutely everything out of that, or you even things out so that you both get the same disposable income.

Those are all fair in different ways. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your contribution is "better" because you earn more.

Seemssounfair · 03/03/2022 10:32

@Onlyrainbows

If I pay 65% of the core outgoings I keep 50% of my income. HOWEVER I cover all extras (holidays, eating out, clothes, insurance) etc..
Ok, so you get to generously "gift" holidays, clothes etc to him. Doesn't that make him feel inadequate/kept? (would work the same way whatever sex)

I really don't understand how married couples can operate this way and not just everything goes into the one family pot. When you buy things with all your spare cash do you still own them or do they then belong to the family, it is just you get to choose? Do you do the same calculations on free time, time with children, housework etc or just money?

Mumoftwoinprimary · 03/03/2022 10:33

@TheSmallAssassin

Either he pays 26% of everything, as he earns 26% of the household income (100 x 35/135), you put everything in one account and pay for absolutely everything out of that, or you even things out so that you both get the same disposable income.

Those are all fair in different ways. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your contribution is "better" because you earn more.

This.
TeenPlusCat · 03/03/2022 10:36

@TheSmallAssassin

Either he pays 26% of everything, as he earns 26% of the household income (100 x 35/135), you put everything in one account and pay for absolutely everything out of that, or you even things out so that you both get the same disposable income.

Those are all fair in different ways. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your contribution is "better" because you earn more.

Assassin Has covered the fair % if splitting directly by income. That's the maths part.

But there is loads to take into account which is about your partnership, not maths.

FitAt50 · 03/03/2022 10:36

@CharacterForming

Mathematically he should pay 26% and you should pay 74% because your income is almost three times his. As PP said, his share of the household income is 35/135ths, so 26% Him paying 35% of the bills is not the right answer no matter which way you look at it.
Thsnk goodness you posted this - I was stressed that no one else seemed to notice her "Simple Maths' was all wrong.
Original poster
Onlyrainbows · 03/03/2022 10:36

He has a £1000 of debt in his name (and it's 100% his), ultimately I'm just trying to figure out how much is "fair" for him to keep paying off his debts.

OP posts:
Qwill · 03/03/2022 10:38

Why can you not use joint money to pay off debt? Seems silly to be paying interest on something you could get rid of.

AreWeThereYetMummy · 03/03/2022 10:40

Put it in a joint pot and then you each have half of what's left? I guess that disadvantages you. I think you have to decide if you are a family or two separate people. If the latter then you pay two thirds, he says a third (roughly) seems fair of total costs.

mrsm43s · 03/03/2022 10:41

Do you think that your husband deserves less spending money than you?

Personally, I think that everything should go in the pot, then all expenses and costs paid, then something put into joint savings, and then the remainder split between you, so that you have equal spending money. That way you don't have to "gift" him things like holidays and eating out, because it will come from the money that you jointly bring into the family.

I find the higher earner keeping the lower earner short and then bestowing "gifts" on them quite icky tbh, regardless of the genders involved.

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