http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/dr-bonnie-answers-coupled-finances-questions.html personal finance blog with anecdotes, advice and commentary. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:14:37 -0500 hourly 1 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/dr-bonnie-answers-coupled-finances-questions.html/comment-page-1#comment-269448 fred@opc Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:46:27 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=2942#comment-269448 I'm not a big fan of "paying the bills/savings first and dividing the rest equally between personal slush funds." One problem with this is alluded to in one of the questions... His hobby requires $50-1000 expenditures, while hers requires $10-50 expenditures. This seems unfair.. But, what if her hobby requires 10 hours per week, and his only requires 2 hours per week? The point is, there are other trade-offs besides money to consider. Perhaps their hobbies bring them the same amount of joy, even though hers costs less. Are we really in these relationships for ourselves, or each other? I’m not a big fan of “paying the bills/savings first and dividing the rest equally between personal slush funds.” One problem with this is alluded to in one of the questions… His hobby requires $50-1000 expenditures, while hers requires $10-50 expenditures. This seems unfair.. But, what if her hobby requires 10 hours per week, and his only requires 2 hours per week? The point is, there are other trade-offs besides money to consider. Perhaps their hobbies bring them the same amount of joy, even though hers costs less. Are we really in these relationships for ourselves, or each other?

]]> http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/dr-bonnie-answers-coupled-finances-questions.html/comment-page-1#comment-268465 Jon Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:48:29 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=2942#comment-268465 Not sure I agree about the "guilt-free slush fund" concept of keeping personal accounts. Sure my wife and I have had differing opinions on what is appropriate spending, but knowing the entirety of the spending that is occuring on both parts allows for discussion and, therein, compromise and understanding regarding said spending. Hiding these expenditures indeed seems to imply "guilt" where as coming to an understanding about what and why your partner spends his or her income on seems a bit more proactive. Not sure I agree about the “guilt-free slush fund” concept of keeping personal accounts. Sure my wife and I have had differing opinions on what is appropriate spending, but knowing the entirety of the spending that is occuring on both parts allows for discussion and, therein, compromise and understanding regarding said spending. Hiding these expenditures indeed seems to imply “guilt” where as coming to an understanding about what and why your partner spends his or her income on seems a bit more proactive.

]]>