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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how you split money?

55 replies

MissBax · 27/05/2017 14:55

I'm going to be going on maternity leave soon. When I return to work it will be only 30 hours a week, as opposed to 37.5 which my OH works.
I was just wondering how people split money? We just split everything 50/50 now but are on the same wage. Do most people then just go on a % of their wage if different to their OH? Or just put all money together and pay out of that?

OP posts:
Miscella · 27/05/2017 17:19

everything we have is joint - current a/c, savings a/c and credit card. Everything is ours jointly, doesn't matter who earns it.

We don't have spending allowances, I think that's weird, kind of like kids having pocket money. We just buy what we need/want. Been together 20ish years and never had a cross word about money.

We both have similar attitudes to money, I can see it wouldn't work if one of us was irresponsible with money.

PeanutButterJellyTimeforTea · 27/05/2017 17:20

We share all money completely. No clue how you could mingle your dna but keep your cash separate, sounds bizarre to me personally.

Redsunshine · 27/05/2017 17:24

We put all joint expenses into our joint account so all bills etc, agree an amount that we'll put into our joint savings account and then just split the rest 50/50 into our personal accounts. For us it's the perfect set up and we never argue about money because of it as we both have the freedom to spend money as we wish.

Redsunshine · 27/05/2017 17:26

Sorry forgot to mention I work a few hours a week and dh works full time

HornyTortoise · 27/05/2017 17:28

All income pooled. Everything comes from pool Each have access to the rest for whatever we deem necessary. Large decisions spoke about but smaller ones not.

MajesticWhine · 27/05/2017 17:31

DH earns about 7 times what I do. We put all income in to a joint account which pays the bills, and we have a personal bank account each, and pay ourselves the same amount into each personal account for coffees, lunches, going out, etc.

supermoon100 · 27/05/2017 17:34

We share everything. One joint account. It doesn't matter who works what hours. We have kids together so any money goes into the joint account for either of us to spend as we wish

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 27/05/2017 17:40

Since day one we have simply had 'money'. All money is 'our money' and bills get paid, treats get bought etc etc. I was a SAHM for 15 years and had full use of the joint account. I wasn't profligate but if I or DCs need something I buy it. Simple.

HeyMicky · 27/05/2017 17:42

We each keep a certain amount of "play" money each month. We use this for different things - DH goes out more, I buy more clothes and makeup.

Everything else goes into the joint pot and from there we pay bills, buy stuff for the kids, and save.

I save some of my play money each month, separately.

We take turns paying for small treats but bigger stuff like house purchases, anniversary dinners and birthday presents for family members come out of the joint pot.

Chasingsquirrels · 27/05/2017 17:43

ExH, together from 19, married @ 26, father of our 2 children @ 30 & 33. Joint everything (apart from ISA's because they are individual) from around 25. Everything was our money, neither of us overspent and no issues. I managed it but he was aware. Nothing changed when I had a 9m and a 15m maternity leave, nor when I went part time on returning.

Late-DH, together from 39, living together with my kids from 40, married @ 44. Nothing shared at all. He transferred monthly amount to me once he'd moved in to cover share of bills etc. Both of us brought food etc. Holidays were shared, but not split 50/50, more on a "he'd Paul for something, I'd pay for something else, he'd pay one year, I'd pay the next etc). He paid a lot more than me when we went out. If I'd ever asked him for money, he'd have given it, I never had cause to. He earned a lot more, he had high outgoings in relation to his divorce. Again, it just wasn't an issue.

PurpleDaisies · 27/05/2017 17:44

One pot, both salaries go in and it's all family money. We're both sensible and like minded when it comes to spending though.

Scottishgirl85 · 27/05/2017 17:48

We share everything despite me earning more. Why would you expect to receive less than hubby when you're cutting your hours to look after your child?

NerrSnerr · 27/05/2017 17:49

We both pay about 90% into joint account. Current account pays for very small things and gifts for each other. Everything else comes from joint accounts.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/05/2017 17:51

Joint account that most of the money goes into. Budgets assigned for household stuff. Pocket money for each of us that is equal. Anything frivolous comes out of that.

Are you planning to marry now you are giving up some of your earning power to raise your shared child?

SheepyFun · 27/05/2017 17:51

Another one with a joint account used for everything (both salaries go in, everything we spend comes out of it). However we're both fairly frugal, and have always earned more than we need to live month to month. If one of you spends more readily than the other, especially if that would affect the other, then an alternative would be a joint account into which earnings come and from which bills are paid, with a set amount going into personal accounts each month to be spent as the recipient wishes - that would ensure that one partner's luxuries don't mean the other goes without (or worse, bills don't get paid).

LemonyFresh · 27/05/2017 17:56

Pool all money. Put x amount each month into savings, take out x amount each for personal spends. Everything else is for the house, bills etc.

Bluntness100 · 27/05/2017 17:58

We both put a percentage into a joint account for all joint expenses and what's left is ours for personal expense like clothes, hair cuts, his golf whatever.

My husband can be a bit of a tight arse and I didn't ever want to be questioned on what I spent if I earned it. I also the higher earner but I wasn't at the start. The critical point was I wished to be financially independent in my own right and maintain that independence. He'd have went all in in a flash, still would. I still wouldn't.

We don't argue about money or even discuss it that often other than for big things and normally we are aligned. If we have a big purchase we agree it and just split the cost between us.

Captainj1 · 27/05/2017 18:08

We have our wages paid into our own accounts. We have a joint account for house/kids expenses and I fund that 100%, I just top it up when it gets low. I earn a lot more than DH though (7/8 times) so that's fair enough. I have no idea what DH spends his money on but i know he puts a lot away in pension and savings.

JoshLymanJr · 27/05/2017 18:13

I work FT, DW is PT.

We have our own current accounts, but all household bills come out of a joint account we pay into. I pay the mortgage, insurances, groceries, Council Tax, loan payments, DIY stuff, and we split other bills (such as utilities, DCs clothes, fuel) 75:25 based on our salaries.

Stuff like my gym membership, Netflix, the odd pint, I pay for from my own account.

SocksRock · 27/05/2017 18:33

Everything goes into one account. We pay the bills, put a chunk into savings and then the rest we just spend. We have similar spending habits which helps, and a decent joint income. We discuss big purchases (over £100) to make sure that there will be enough left at the end of the month, but it seems to work OK

RainbowsAndUnicorn · 27/05/2017 18:35

50/50 on bills until we were married, then we changed to a joint account.

Liverbird77 · 27/05/2017 18:50

We have a joint account. I work three days a week and earn much, much less. We are fine with it because we are a team. We just buy whatever we need/want, however we are both careful with money so we have saved loads.

CocoLoco87 · 27/05/2017 18:50

DH pays 100% of bills and mortgage. I pay for treats for me and DC from my account. Also any gifts I buy for him and my family / friends come from my money.

DH pays into a joint account that I use for food shopping, petrol and other household things.

DH earns a lot more than I do. We are both happy with this arrangement (especially me!) Grin I'm currently on ML.

eurochick · 27/05/2017 19:22

We each pay around 60% of salary into a joint account to cover mortgage, bills, food, petrol, etc. We keep the rest to spend it save as we wish. Luckily we have pretty similar attitudes to money so this causes no issue.

MimiSunshine · 27/05/2017 19:28

Pre baby we transferred in the same amount into the joint account to cover bills etc (including petrol)
When I was pregnant we changed this so that our wages went into the joint account and we transferred out our 'spending money'.

When I went on Mat Leave I lowered the amount I was transferring out as I was spending less (don't really know what I was spending it on before ☺️).
I used the joint account for anything baby related and my personal account for lunches out or just frivolous things I want f for baby.

This works well for us and means I don't feel like I'm spending "his money" or have to ask for it etc and when I go back to work we'll just carry on in this way so it's not really % each based on salary