Help me solve a money conundrum

[WinoLino]

I'll try to keep this succinct.

Me and DP have a joint account and our own.

We normally spend around £100 on each other at Xmas but I'm low on funds so I suggested he transfer me £100 so I could buy his presents instead of him buying me anything. That way he is not out of pocket and he still gets presents which he deserves as he's not the one who hasn't budgeted very well (to be fair, I've had some unexpected costs).

However, I then realised we are in a lot of credit in our energy account as we pay more than we use (even in winter). I suggested we take out £200.

I couldn't then work out how to make the situation fair once again. Am I right in thinking he needs to take the £200?

Why can't I work this out?!!! (Blaming illness and peri menopause but I've always just been bad at maths-be gentle).

You are right! To put it simply:-

You owe him £100
The energy company gives you each £100. (£200 total.)
You then use your £100 to pay him back.
So he has all £200 from the energy company. You now have no debt.

Surely you split the £200 between you.
Can't be doing with all the who owes what stuff
Spend £100 each on presents

So you are asking him to transfer money to you to pay for his own present and for him to not buy you anything. Why don't you just not do gifts to each other for this year?

It seems to be a bit daft to be taking money from your energy account and spending time and effort trying to work out who should get what to make things 'fair'.

He gets £200 and you both get presents.

I'd just get a small present for each other, go out for a nice meal (you could do this all for under £100) and just forget all the nonsense about transferring money back and forward. It seems a really odd arrangement if you are in a relationship with someone.

Well either he gets £200 and spends £100 on gifts for you. Or you both get £100 and his gift is the £100 transferred already.

Thank you everyone!

Particularly @Mumofteenandtween for explaining it better than I could 😝

The simplest way to look at it is

You give him £100 back then you are both as you were before.

You split the £200 so you have £100 each plus he has the £100 he had previously given you.

So you are still £100 up and can use that for his pressies and he gets you pressies from his money.

It depends if he's already transferred the money? If he hasn't then you can just split the £200 between you. If he has already given you a hundred then you owe him your £100 from the split.