I wouldn't even consider having one, no way!

Yes, we share everything, which is just as well for me, as he earns the money.

Never had one....just his bank card!

He has his I have mine, just never got around to opening a joint one. Plus it means that if he walks (which he never would) there's no record of him actually paying anything on the mortage. Mhahahaha

WE have always had a joint account - he puts the money in and I take it out!

I well remember so-called  financial expert Martin Lewis becoming very frustrated with a caller and almost shouting at them, "You share bodily fluids, why can't you share money!"    ....... or maybe   depending on your  viewpoint.

same here Suzi   he works and earns it - I have control of it - this is the main account - we do have seperate savings account each as well

we have a rule in our house - whats his is mine - whats mine is my own  seriously if it works then fine- if you foresee problems then keep your money seperate

I've been married for 20 plus years, and lived together for a few years before that, Never have we had a joint bank account 

We have a joint account which we both put money in for the mortgage, bills etc but we have our own as well. There's never anything in the joint account when I look at it. Hmmm

I think they're only useful for paying joint bills, mortgage/rent, leccy, gas, council tax etc... if i was to have one, I think i'd set it up so we each had our bank accounts where our pay went into, and then transfer by DD x amount per month to cover said bills. Then we can each spend our own money on what we like, no arguing cos I bought shoes or he bought a PC game, simples *squeak*

We have one joint account plus two separate ones (for our own stuff, mobiles etc)....the joint account is for the mortgage, bills and shopping etc.  We have both always contributed evenly to it which seems fair to me.

Before Finn was born, we both agreed that I would work right up to the birth (tried me best ) and take as much time as I can off afterwards.  In ireland you get maternity benefit for the first six months, but nothing for the remaining optional 4.  What I'm trying to say in a rather epic of a waffle, is from now until March I'm contributing nothing to the 'pot' and feel terribly guilty   I've never lived off anyone in my life and so this feels very unnatural

Temps think of it as him paying you half the child minding costs and you throwing your 'new wage' in the pot.

Yeah, that's true Moon.  I spend absolutely NOTHING on myself, not without explaining it to him...it feels like I'm nicking his money   Every now and then he chucks me a tenner for meself though

I had a joint account with my first husband and the day he walked out I discovered he'd been systematically clearing it out for 3 weeks. I was at college and he'd taken my term's grant as well as my savings. I had to forget getting my degree at that time and take any job I could start immediately as I had less than £10 and no income due for 3 months. Never again! Mr Cat and I have been together nearly 8 years and have our own accounts. We pay roughly half the monthly household outgoings each - I pay the mortgage and he pays for fuel, water, council tax, TV licence and phone/broadband which comes to about the same. At Christmas he pays for presents for his family and I buy for mine. We both have some savings but neither of us knows exactly how much the other has. As long as the bills are paid and we have enough to eat, it's irrelevant.

Oh he is too kind. Do out a wage slip for yourself and hand it to him.

We've always had a joint.

I do have a 'running away fund' account, but he keeps stealing the card and emptying it.

I might change the PIN.

We have a joint account, but we never use it.

I have my personal account and Mr L has his, although nothings secret....we leave our statements open on the side then fling them in the junk drawer in the kitchen ready to "file" all the time !

Been married nearly 40 years.  Always had a joint account.  Never been a problem.  Back in the "old" days before we were married (late 1960's) I even gave him all my hard earned cash to put into a savings account for a mortgage.  That account was in his sole name.  Never gave it a thought but I suppose nowadays things are different, more is the pity.

We were always the same as you Joyron, we were married for almost 45 years and from the day we married there was never 'his money' and 'my money' it was always our money.  Maybe its an old-fashioned view now but when we married we became one and so the idea of keeping money separately seemed daft.

I think Blondie's post, explains perfectly the fear some have of putting all your money in the same pot. 

As for us, we had separate accounts when we were single and only when we bought the house did we open a joint account, so it just made sense to keep our own accounts as they were with us paying for our own (mobile/credit card etc) stuff.

Not a chance would I have one with my OH.  He is useless with money and never seems to have it for long before declaring he's 'skint'.  I, on the other hand, have learned the hard way that he's useless with money therefore I need to look after mine.  He has a lot of work overheads so most of his money goes on that and stuff like leccy, daily shop stuff and keeping us going daily but the bills are paid by me and my bank card stays firmly in my purse! 

Am still intrigued how a thread on how much do you spend on christmas is even remotedly linked to joint bank accounts?

But while we're on the topic of joint bank accounts and not on christmas presents one....yes we have joint accounts. One main one where his money goes into for mortgage and suchlikes, the other joint is where my pittance wages goes in.

We both have access to both.

Hi Temps, I don't have a joint bank account with my husband, however he earns way more than me so his financial contribution to our life is substantially more.

I haven't worked for a year due to an accident and I feel EXACTLY like you, I'm in my thirties and it feels so weird not to have my own money. Having said that, it really does show what lovely husbands we have.It's now 'Our Money'.On the  plus side you have an adorable little chap which is worth more than any personal income.

We have been married for 28 years and have always had a joint current account, and joint savings accounts too.

it's not a nice feeling is it? lol....but poor you, out of work all this time due to an accident...how are you now?  

I tell you, his internet escapades aside , I really have nabbed a top notch husband and in fairness he does tell me how silly I'm being about it, but it just doesn't seem right

Nope .... we have seperate bank accounts

I felt very odd about giving up my bank account and sharing my husband's, but I soon got over it.  It's tough, but worth making the effort. :heroic smile:

Temps, thanks so much for asking, I'm doing v well at the moment (Thank God)Broken legs (yes plural) have healed well but the blinkin cut tendons& nerves in my hands and wrist are taking a lifetime to repair. Go twice a week for occupational therapy to re-learn to use my hands but otherwise absolutely grand. I have a gorgeous husband who has been my absolute rock (I sound like Paul Burrell now) So its all good.

...but Temps you are the Mother of his child, that is something you cannot put a price on I'm sure he'd rather you be home with Finn rather than somebody else bringing him up right now.....and what escapades has he been up to?

oh my days!  what happened to you?!

he had a secret internet friend   but I think she's gone now

Cut a very long story short! Bought an old house, upstairs rooms were getting rewired, I walked in, lovely Polish builder told me the new long window wasn't in - I missunderstood, thought he said 'IN'. I walked through the opening and toppled down 3 stories onto a building site! Like the scene in Sex and the City! You couldn't make it up!  I normally just tell people I was in a car accident.

Bloody hell fairfax!!!   Is the motion in the hands and wrists the final part of the recovery, are you okay otherwise?  How do you find it typing?   If you don't want me asking, just tell me to shurrup

We have a joint bills account which we both put money into but can't take money out of and we each have separate personal accounts.

My next door neighbour has a joint account with her hubby and has to account for every penny that she takes out i.e. I spent £1.50 on milk etc., yet he's allowed to take out what he likes and she's not allowed to know what it's being spent on.  I would never allow that

OMG Fairfax, what a terrible accident. No wonder you are still not completely recovered after a year.
On the subject of the severed nerves and tendons in your wrist/hand, my mum managed to do that, by falling over when she was putting out a milk bottle. Persevere with the physio/occupational therapy, it does take a long time but it is worth it in the end.

I didn't realise you'd been through all that, Fairfax.  Nightmare for you!

We've always had a joint account - been married 22 years.

And OMG Fairfax!!

OMG Fairfax, bloody hell....how long ago was that if you don't mind me asking? I'm glad you're on the road to recovery

Temps, Yogi and Fabienne, Liverbird and Devil D,thanks a mill for being so lovely.God it means a lot, I don't actually tell anyone what truly happended. Believe it or not life has become very tranquil and hubby and I are closer than ever. I've a bit of a long road ahead but am confident that my hands,whilst will never be 'normal', will be get functioning.My thumbs are wrecked(don't bend) but I can still type.