Should married peopple have joint checking accounts?

Question

I have been married 1 1/2 years and me and my husband have our own checking accounts. We split all of our household bills but my personal bills are my responsibility. Before we got married my husband did not pay rent he only paid for our daughters daycare and groceries as I paid the rest of the bills, so he accumalated $10,000 in savings and now we do split everything and I am left with a literally overdrawn account from where I do not make enough for all our bills and he still has his $10,000. and does not really seem to care if I am broke. Should we get a joint account to make things fair? By the way I am NOT a big spender I am a bargain hunter.

Answer 1

It doesn't seem like joint accounts are the main problem. It doesn't even sound like you're married or a family if you're working, the child is in daycare, you're paying bills and rent, and he's keeping his money. No wonder men love women's lib/feminist movement!

Married couples should have an account for household expenses and when all the bills are paid and money put into a savings account, whatever is left can be split for spending-fun money.

Answer 2

I recommend keeping the separate accounts. Definitely....but the savings are still half yours. He may not think so but it is about marital property legally.

If you have a good marriage, then you need to change the arrangements. What kind of husband does this to his wife? Divide bills by percentage of income. If you make 30% of the total income, you should pay 30% of the bills. That is fair.

You shouldn't be in debt. Of course, if the stuff that you buy for the family is being counted as your spending...then something is wrong there. Make him buy the groceries. Make him see where the money is going. Spliting everything is about fair. They made a movie once about how a couple did this and it crushed the woman.

See this as a trend...are there other things that are not fair? Does he split the other activities of the marriage. It is up to you to draw the line. As I see it, he has it pretty darn nice right now. And if he says it is HIS $10 thousand, then you have a problem brewing.

Answer 3

If he lived with you before and didn't pay any rent but now you two split everything then I think he should pitch in with some of the money that you helped him save. He seems a bit greedy and uncaring if he's willing to let this financial burden fall on you while he has the cash to help out. After all you two are married for better or worse... Whether it is a joint account or paying bills from either account it should be split evenly, but a joint account would be best.

Answer 4

What's wrong with a joint account. What is with all this splitting the household bills about. You are married and are both enjoying all the luxuries of today's lifestyle. It shouldn't be all about how much you make and what you feel your willing to pay. It's about joining together and working as team. Gather your bills together, combine your wages, pay the bills and then decide together what to do with the rest. Your married and in the end it will be split down the middle anyways.
And for those hoarding money and not telling the other, beware, it will only cause more problems in the end. Nobody is that stupid that they wouldn't notice money disappearing, it will make you look deceitful and untrustworthy.
Marriage is about team work and looking out for what's best for the two of you. Money brings to worst out of people don't let it happen, it's up to you to come with a plan, together.

Answer 5

I had a joint account w/my husband and it didn't work out because he would spend spend where I am the bargain hunter also.He would forget to write the daily debits in his register or not keep the reciepts to do our budgeting at night. I became overdrawn everytime and then I asked for him to get his own account that way he can manage his 1/2 of the bills. We ahve ahd seperate accounts for 6 years now and if Im short then he helps me and viceversa. That is how it should be! He makes more than me and pays child support also so we average the same monthly. If you don't make enough to pay your 1/2 then he needs to take on another bill. Make a Budget List and show him where you fall short and how he could help in this one area to take the stress off you with the promise of a happier less stressed you. Talk it out... work it out... Good luck!

Answer 6

Well, I think you should have only a joint account if you can rely on each other. E.g., with my ex-husband that did not work because he would withdraw money without telling me and then the checks I had sent out for bills would bounce.
In your case, it seems, your husband is not interested in having a shared account; however, you obviously have not split up your budget correctly. I mean, how could he save all that money and have you be overdrawn??? Y'all need to sit down and get things straightened out!!! You could use one account for savings and one for paying bills, but if you are not wasting money, yet still overdraw, there is obviously a problem. You should point out to him that it will hurt him in the longrun, too, since I am sure a lot of the household bills are in both y'all's names, even if you pay them. So if you bounce checks or not pay on time, it will eventually effect his credit also.

Answer 7

me and my hubby have a joint account for all the household bills and we both have our own account for our own bills/spending . .
all the household expenses are 50/50 and right now it's harder on me cause I don't make as much as him but back in the 80's it was the opposite we had to move into this dump of a rental cause he couldn't afford the 1/2 the rent on the place we were in . . now I scape to make my car note after paying the household expenses but . . in 1995 my hubby told me if we didn't have a house note then he could afford for me to stay home with the kids . . well from my savings I was able to pay off the house and not work for 10 years because I was saving $$ when he couldn't . . . . eventually it will all wash out .

Answer 8

Actually, I think each couple should do what works best for them, as in how to best reach their goals. It does seem silly that you have an overdrawn account and he has all that savings. You need to sit down with him, and discuss how he thinks the two of you should solve this problem. Don't make any suggestions, but see what he comes up with. You are making him out to sound rather heartless.....I'd be curious to know the entire story and what his suggestion is. If you aren't a big spender, than his answer shouldn't be for you to spend less.

Answer 9

Talk to him about this and it should have been talk about before your marriage. I say he needs to pay up if you paid for more then he did. If he doesn't see things in a different way then you need to rethink your marriage. Marriage is a partnership and it sounds like he is not doing his part. Tell him your feelings and then seek help. It sound like to me what me ex, he had a separate account and cheated on me with that account because I couldn't tell what he was spending BUT he knew all the pennies I spent.. So I say check into this and find out why he doesn't want to help you in any way. If he loves you he would do what it takes to make you happy and out of debt that he helped put you in....

Answer 10

I think it's a good idea to have both shared and separate accounts. In the shared account, each of you puts your percent of the total household budget each month, plus extra for future large purchases that are agreed upon together. (Your percent is related to your income vs. your husband's income--if you make $3,000 a month and he makes $5,000 a month--you provide 3/8 of household expenses, and he provides 5/8)

Then, you also keep money in your separate account for personal expenses.

I also think the $10,000 should be divided and shared.