How would you split bills?

[TheNightIsDark]

My monthly income (have included tax creds, child benefit etc)- £1200
DPs- £2400

Outgoings are £2390 including rent, council tax, childcare, debt, food.

If we split it 50:50 then I have £5 a month to pay my car insurance, phone bill or buy stuff for me.

I'm crap with percentages but we have said we will put an equal percentage of income in each to cover outgoings and what's left is ours individually.

How do I work this out fairly? I'm PT, DP is FT if that makes a difference and we have 3 DCs and DSD EOW.

Well, £2390 goes on bills. That leaves £1210 so £605 each and you both spend equal amounts out of that on the dc.

Btw just read the bit about percentages, I don't get that. Surely being part-time saves childcare costs and therefore you are contributing to your dp's ability to earn at those times.

We just pay the bills and split the remaining money 50:50. Bills paid, equal spends, equal status in the relationship.

You work p/t presumably so you pick up the slack with the DCs so DP can work F/T?

Everything in one pot, bills etc come out of it, what is left is split 50/50 - if you choose to share a home and a family and all that it entails then the income should be shared fairly IMO

Same as above, whatever is left is split 50/50.

can you not have a joint account that all the bills come out of and then both have an equal amount of money left over? DH earns all the money here and we have a joint account and I can buy what I need/the kids need as and when I want. We dont even calculate how much we are each 'supposed' to get to spend and if money is available then it can be spent by either of us

What everyone else has said, all money in one account, bills paid, what is left is split equally or both just use as needed if you are both on the same page with regard to what spending should e discussed beforehand and what is ok to just buy (like getting your hair done is ok not to be discussed but buying a mulberry handbag should be discussed)

However i would also add that you should really think about both of you having joint and individual savings out of what is left after bills. You should both jointly and individually have a security net/birthday/treat fund that you can access without the other's consent incase things ever get bad.

Yes, I think the percentage idea might be reasonable for co-habiting couples but not for a family with three kids + a regular step-visitor. 50:50 of remaining cash once all outgoings are accounted for is fairer.

Why on earth would you split bills if you're in a partnership? All our money goes into one joint account and everything comes out of that. Over the years, sometimes one of us has earned more, sometimes the other, but we take the view that we are both working for the good of the family, and it's a team effort. There is no "yours" and "mine".

You work part time to cover childcare which enables dH to work.

So put all the money in one pot, pay the bills and split the remainder two ways equally

me and dh put all earnings into one pot

I have more than this transferred into my own ac but that covers my private pension

we both have cash isa to maximise our tax position and to create nest eggs

any large purchase out of the jnt account gets discussed