Tea Time with magicalgirlme: Funds for Frills
Dear MagicalGirlMe,
“...Now that I'm married and have joint finances, I was wondering if you had any advice for couples? We haven't discussed it yet, so any advice would be helpful."
Sincerely,
Recently Married
You can listen to this episode here on Spotify!
First of all, congratulations! What an exciting time. Joint finances can be stressful for couples at any stage of life, to be sure. While I am not a financial expert, I can share how funds act in my household.
My wife and work full-time. Everything we earn for our jobs goes into our main accounts, of which we have two. Any bills, cost of living needs, car payments, student loan payments, etc., come out of this central account. The other is exclusively for our mortgage.
In addition to our two checking accounts, we have a savings account and our checking accounts. We have an agreed amount automatically deposited to our personal account every week. We think of it like a stipend! We can use it however we wish. I mainly use mine for lolita fashion.
Suppose we get any extra funds, like a percentage of commission or a raise, birthday funds, or business income, that also goes to our account. This allows us to pursue our interests while maintaining healthy financial wellness!
I hope that wasn't too confusing. Everyone with a joint account is different, so you'll have to find what works for you and your husband. It may take some trial and error, and that's ok! I wish you two the best!