Frugal meals all the way here this week, but hasn't stopped me running out of money. Payday (for joint account top-up from DH) on Monday, my payday on Tuesday. DH has given me DS' utility bills money (I pay rent, DH pays utilities and 'phone) and I am mildly irritated that I have to remind him to do this every time, and of how much it is. DH is a generous man (took us to the theatre again last night as an example, and out for lunch yesterday), but has lost sight, as his income has risen, of running on tight margins. We've brought our finances together very slowly over 20 years, with a lot of trust on both sides that we had the same values and would always strive to keep our respective ends up and do our best for the family. And that's worked well and been the case; but at this point in our lives we should probably learn to be more of a team and set some explicit shared financial goals.
Anyway, once he is back from his work trip, and decompressed, I think a regular money date would be a good change instituted.