Finances as a married couple?

[yokoyokogirl]

How do you deal with paying the bills as a married couple? I was wondering if your husband handles the bills, you do it, both sit down and do it together-or what? Who pays for what and how do you come up with that amount?

My dad always gave my mom his check, she put hers with it (but kept a lil in a secret acct "just in case") and paid the bills. My dad, of course, got money whenever he wanted, but he never really needed or used any. Plus, he said it was a pain bringing back all the receipts to my mom so she could balance the bankbook...

How are you ladies doing it?

 

[dlewis]

I manage our accounts. All checks go into our accounts and I pay the bills. But several times throughout our marriage he has taken over managing the money when I have not been able to.

 

[yokoyokogirl]

Just curious, what determines that one cannot manage the money?

 

[dlewis]

Just curious, what determines that one cannot manage the money?

I have had different health issues and at those times he has taken over managing the money. There have been times when I just forgot to pay bills because of stress, etc and he has taken that over.

 

[ThickHair]

My dad always gave my mom his check, she put hers with it (but kept a lil in a secret acct "just in case") and paid the bills. My dad, of course, got money whenever he wanted, but he never really needed or used any. Plus, he said it was a pain bringing back all the receipts to my mom so she could balance the bankbook...

How are you ladies doing it?

I took care of bills when I was married. Left it up to exdh and our lights were cut off. He forgot to pay the bill. A$$

My brother did what your parents did, it worked for them. I use to tease him about his video game money that SIL gave him.

 

[moneychaser]

I manage our accounts. All checks go into our accounts and I pay the bills. But several times throughout our marriage he has taken over managing the money when I have not been able to.

ditto.. we have it set up with our employers to have a percentage of our checks automatically desposited into our personal checking accounts as an "allowance" then the remainder goes to our joint checking account for bills and savings

 

[Vanity1]

He gives me the money, I spend it.

 

[yokoyokogirl]

Haha! Thanks ladies!
Just wondering if the managing of the money has caused major troubles in marriages?
How do you justify your savings and spendings? Or do you not have to...

 

[dlewis]

He gives me the money, I spend it.

bad bad bad

Haha! Thanks ladies!
Just wondering if the managing of the money has caused major troubles in marriages?
How do you justify your savings and spendings? Or do you not have to...

We set a budget at the beginning of the year and we both get an allowance. We agreed when we first got together that we would never fight about money and that has never been an issue in our marriage. If he wants something he's free to go get it, if I want something I can go get it.

I can only remember a couple of situations where how we spent money was an issue. One was one of our freezers went out and he wanted to go get me a used freezer erplexed and I insisted on a new upright freezer, he thought a new one was a waste of money but thats what we got.

 

[godzooki]

I"m a SAHM but I handle everything. Hubby doesn't even bother to look at his checks. It get directly deposited and then I doll it out to bills, groceries or whatever. He does not care as long as he's never embarrassed by his debit card being denied for lack of funds. He'll check to make sure with me before purchasing big stuff (but not small stuff) so I can make sure to transfer funds if needed. He couldn't tell you what was in our account to save his life...Interesting since he makes a decent income. It seems the more he makes the more lax he gets because when we both were working and making penny's he was fanatical about everything. I think he's in his happy zone.

 

[Caramela]

DH does it. We tried doing it together and that didn't work. He does a grand job. And I like not having to worry about the finances.

 

[DayStar]

OKAY

He does not care as long as he's never embarrassed by his debit card being denied for lack of funds.

 

[MD_Lady]

I take care of all that stuff. DH used to do it, but he was always "forgetting" when bills were due.

 

[Chameleonchick]

I am a Stay at home mom and I handle the bills, we have a pretty good budget. He dones't handle anything I just tell him what has been paid out, and what we can spend.

 

[oooop2]

Pre-moving to Japan, both DHs and my paycheck went into 1 account (our main account). Then monthly he would deposit a set amt of $$$ into a separate account for me, that was just mine. I would use my account for anything "ME" related. DH paid all the bills online and they all came out of the main account.

Since moving to Japan, I no longer work. A portion of his salary comes to our bank in Japan and the rest stays in our bank in the US. We use the bank in Japan to pay for all bills here. I just w/draw a set amt monthly and pay our bills at the local Family Mart. The remaining money is used for (shopping/entertainment/etc).

DH likes overseeing our family finances. However, since moving to Japan, he has given the responsibility to me. But once back in the USA, he's gladly take it over..LOL

 

[godzooki]

OKAY

It's true. He tried to do the bills a couple of times but always forgets to pay something. He hates going near the finances because he'd have to have his mind set for it. He'd rather chew nails. I have to brow beat him on a daily basis just to do his expense reports and those add up to hundreds of dollars. If I did not brow beat him then, he'd just sit on it until his job brow beats him and they end up having to cut him a check for over 2k. Now, mind you. I brow beat him because it's our dang money being reimbursed in the first place. I want that green back!