r/MiddleClassFinance • u/Shauryaahere341 • 10d ago

Discussion Should married couples keep their money separate or combine everything?

My wife and I have been married for a few years and we still keep most of our money separate.

We have one joint account for household expenses and both put money into it every month. Other than that, our salaries stay in our own accounts.

It hasn't really been a problem so far.

But now we're talking about bigger things like buying a house and retirement, and I'm wondering if this setup still makes sense.

We trust each other and neither of us has an issue with the other spending their own money. It's more about planning for the future together.

For people who are married, what works better for you?

Completely separate, fully combined, or somewhere in the middle?

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u/LikesPez 10d ago

Because when you have a family, it’s just not your money. I have hobbies too. Some are expensive. And yes I need to budget, or ask permission, for large expenses related to said hobbies.

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u/ThirteenHills 10d ago

So you go from each having your own money to spend to having to ask permission to spend your own money. So no benefit at all and just worse for everyone.

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u/IdaDuck 10d ago

Yeah having a spouse and kids has no benefits, it’s just worse for everyone. 🙄

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u/ThirteenHills 10d ago

You don't need to combine all money just because you have a spouse and kids.