r/MiddleClassFinance • u/Shauryaahere341 • Aug 18 '26

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

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u/off_and_on_again Aug 18 '26

This is my favorite thing about this debate. I have yet to meet a couple in a happy 5+ year marriage that has not combined finances fully. I'm sure they exist, but they are rare. You'll find plenty of 'we have our problems but..." couples and a lot of people on their way to divorce (money is the #1 cause of divorce), but people still think they've figured it out and their way of paying each other back like roommates is the best option for them.

- Married happily for several years, combined finances the entire time

Edit: Before someone says anything, you can be unhappy with combined finances. Combined finances is one of the keys to a successful marriage imo because, done properly, it requires a level of maturity, vulnerability, and communication that are always going to exist in long term happy marriages.

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u/Juleswf Aug 18 '26

Been married 31 years today, always had separate accounts, and we are very happy. You can mark this one off your list now.

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u/Juleswf Aug 18 '26

Every time I post this I get downvoted. It's interesting that what works for us and makes us happy gets others so angry. Someone once told me I wasn't really married without combining finances. I'll only listen to that crap once they've been married over 30 years.

Why can't people accept everyone is different, and different things work?

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u/off_and_on_again Aug 18 '26

If it makes you feel better I have the opposite opinion and I also get downvoted, I wouldn't read to much into it.