dollar 1362244 1280

How to Divide Expenses at Home when Both of You are Working


If there’s one thing that ruins relationships, it’s money. That’s simply one of the first things couples—whether married or not—talk about when they start living together. It’s always a case of “who will pay for what,” and finding the right balance for the both of you.

Are you moving in with your partner soon? Then you should start taking notes on how you can divide the expenses—for the sake of your future home and your relationship.

Split your accounts and work out the percentage you’ll give

Keeping your accounts separate is still the best option in any relationship. This will make it easier for couples to control their own earnings and avoid conflicts that come with having a joint account.

What you need to do and agree to a certain percentage to allot to your housing needs while, of course, being considerate of how much you make individually. But let’s say you decide to put aside 30 percent of your salary for bills and necessities. Once that’s set, you have to commit to that.

Recognize who makes more and who makes less

This is in relation to the previous point. One should acknowledge if they are making more or lesser than their significant other. That way, you can pinpoint which expenses will fit your salary—whether it’s paying for the electricity, water, Wi-Fi, or buying groceries.

That said, you still have to follow the allotment percentage you’ve agreed on. Again, it’s all about finding a balance in taking care of your home.

Save, save, save

When you’re done dividing tasks and expenses, you have to get along in this category. Saving money is key to living together. If you are spending too much on unnecessary things and not keeping your part of the agreement, this will cause problems in the long run.

How do you do this together? You have to agree on a percentage again. This time, it will go to your “couple savings,” as well as your miscellaneous budget that you’ll use for travel, etc. An effective way to keep track of all the expenses and savings you’ve allotted is to list them down on a table and compute the total monthly, quarterly, and/or annually.

Now that you’ve read through this article, you should share this with your partner. Think of it as a way to prepare for your the next stage of your lives.

The following two tabs change content below.
Mr. Hutton is a Divorce and Custody Lawyer based out of Round Rock, TX. His background is with child psychology at Arizona State University where he received a B.S. in 2006, and he continued this by working with the Children’s Right’s Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2009. Throughout his practice, he has been a strong proponent of utilizing modern technology to improve his practice and the representation of his clients. He currently is the technology chair of CAFA of Travis County and is committed to improving and modernizing the practice of law in Texas. If you have any questions you can contact him at timothy.hutton@austintexaslegal.com

Leave a Reply