joint or seperate checking account

For those of you that are married, do you have a joint account or do you have a checking account and spouse has a checking account? My wife and I have always had a joint account since we've been married (7 years), but sometimes I get frustrated with her but try not to show it when she orders stuff from some of her coworkers. Things like pampered chef, the coworkers kids are selling stuff, etc. I know I don't spend anything hardly. It seems that we can't save any money and are living week to week most of the time. I've been thinking if we could save more or atleast me save more with sperate checking. I also believe that once you get married you become one and everything is ONE.

 

seperate

 

Separate accounts, we have a common account for bill paying that we transfer funds into once a month.

 

This. Seems like most families have this type of setup.

 

44 years just one checking acct

 

We only have one checking account. It can be difficult at times if we disagree on what to spend money on, but most of the time it is fine. One reason it has probably worked great so far is that we haven't had any extra money, so any money we spent mostly went to bills. Now that we have gotten on our feet and gotten promotions in our jobs, my student loans paid off, savings built up enough to handle emergencies, we have more play money and have been having more disagreements about buying stuff. I think soon we will build into our budget a few hundred a month for each of us to do whatever we want with.

 

Separate, but this ^^^ so I guess both for different purposes. Take care of your shared commitments first.

Figure out your monthly and annual household bills, you each owe 50% of that Both of you should automatically deposit 1/12 of that into a shared checking account to pay those bills from each month.

You better figure out on top of that a saving plan for at least 10% of every check and both of you put into that, too.

Any kids? Plan for that too.

Then retirement for both of you.

Then your own separate personal accounts for incidental stuff that does not affect the household. Like mods.

You guys need to do a little Excel work.

 

Seperate. Been with my wife 13 years. Never once had an argument about money. She buys what she wants, I buy what I want, and that's that.

 

last wife, we had a joint account and it sucked. This wife, separate accounts and we couldn't be happier.

 

Seperate accounts - I pay the mortgage she pays the bills

 

mine and the wifes are seperate...me and my girlfriends are joint

 

this is what we plan on doing as well.

 

Freshly married, separate accounts. There is no way I could have bought my lift and sliders with a joint acct

 

This is how I do it, this is what makes the most sense to me, and it seems most of the people replying on the thread so far do it as well. I handle paying all of the bills but my wife and I have our direct deposit set up to put an equal amount in to our joint account each paycheck with the remainder going to our separate accounts. She buys what she wants I buy what I want, we never question each other, and our bills are paid.

 

ENTIRELY too much effort for separate accounts. Throw it all in one. Make big purchase decisions together. Have separate accounts for vacations and truck stuffs. We both add to those however. Its one household, only need one checking.

 

Finances is one of the top reasons for divorce. That and diddling the nanny's pooter.

 

x2 ^^^

 

21 years with 1 account here......I keep a separate savings though.

 

Joint account, we've been married over 10 years. My wife stays at home and takes care of the house and kids so separate wouldn't make sense, but we opened a joint account right after we got married when we were still dual income.