Splitting the rent...
Discussion
So I recently moved in with my partner. At present we split all costs by 50%, including rent.
She earns slightly less than 2/3rds of what I do, still has the student loan etc (I have finished paying mine off). At the end of each month she doesn't have a massive amount left (although her wage is fair), whereas I am able to keep topping up my savings account.
The other day she mentioned that many couples split the rent based on incomes, with the higher earner paying more, and that we should do that. Her job is a lot more hours and hard work than mine so think she's feeling a bit hard done by.
At first I dismissed it out of hand, 50% split is fairest I told her. Then I started wondering if I was being a bit miserly! So would be interested to see how other PH'ers do it!
She earns slightly less than 2/3rds of what I do, still has the student loan etc (I have finished paying mine off). At the end of each month she doesn't have a massive amount left (although her wage is fair), whereas I am able to keep topping up my savings account.
The other day she mentioned that many couples split the rent based on incomes, with the higher earner paying more, and that we should do that. Her job is a lot more hours and hard work than mine so think she's feeling a bit hard done by.
At first I dismissed it out of hand, 50% split is fairest I told her. Then I started wondering if I was being a bit miserly! So would be interested to see how other PH'ers do it!
Interesting one. We have split by income from day 1. I now pay about 3.5 times a month what my wife does and I am going to up my payment to the joint account by £150 a month and drop hers by the same. Then I will be paying 6 times what she does.
She looks after the children 2.5 days a week and I have no objection to this arrangement, the increase was my suggestion.
I would have a conversation with her, but personally I think you should pay a bit more if you can afford to do so.
She looks after the children 2.5 days a week and I have no objection to this arrangement, the increase was my suggestion.
I would have a conversation with her, but personally I think you should pay a bit more if you can afford to do so.
Zoobeef said:
I think without me realising it it was a help in what split up me and the ex.
If there is a large enough gap then I'd say sway the payments slightly more your way.
Definitely this!If there is a large enough gap then I'd say sway the payments slightly more your way.
Why, if you are in a serious long term relationship, would you want one party to feel hard done by if it can be easily rectified?
I would say you take up a larger percentage of the rent/bills.
Put yourself in her shoes, she probably worries about money when you go out, go's out less with friends etc.
Slightly different situation as i've paid for the majority since my GF moved in as she's been in and out of work. She owns her own house which is rented out and covers the mortgage.
The plan when she has full time work the plan is that she pays quite a bit less than what her mortgage and bills were when she lived alone so she is better off and thus i am also slightly better off than when i was living alone.
you'll probably find she's more willing to go out, pay for drinks etc when she has more disposable income from paying of smaller share of the rent and you will have a much happier missus.
Have your disposable income levels closer to 50/50 rather than your share of the rent being 50/50 is my advice
Put yourself in her shoes, she probably worries about money when you go out, go's out less with friends etc.
Slightly different situation as i've paid for the majority since my GF moved in as she's been in and out of work. She owns her own house which is rented out and covers the mortgage.
The plan when she has full time work the plan is that she pays quite a bit less than what her mortgage and bills were when she lived alone so she is better off and thus i am also slightly better off than when i was living alone.
you'll probably find she's more willing to go out, pay for drinks etc when she has more disposable income from paying of smaller share of the rent and you will have a much happier missus.
Have your disposable income levels closer to 50/50 rather than your share of the rent being 50/50 is my advice
I earn a lot more than my wife, I pay the mortgage, service charge, bills, town parking space rent, nursery fees, what ever is on the credit card, savings for the lad and us and most of the utilities. She sticks £500 in the joint account which covers the rest of the bills and groceries.
Whilst we run separate accounts we share a joint account and she uses my credit card as if it was her own. What is hers is mine and what is mine is hers.
On pay day, after money is moved to joint account, savings and credit card our individiual accounts have the same balance to spend on whatever we want as I think that is fair.
Whilst we run separate accounts we share a joint account and she uses my credit card as if it was her own. What is hers is mine and what is mine is hers.
On pay day, after money is moved to joint account, savings and credit card our individiual accounts have the same balance to spend on whatever we want as I think that is fair.
Edited by megapixels83 on Sunday 11th October 17:38
megapixels83 said:
I earn a lot more than my wife, I pay the mortgage, service charge, bills, town parking space rent, nursery fees, what ever is on the credit card and most of the utilities. She sticks £500 in the joint account which covers the rest of the bills and groceries.
Whilst we run separate accounts we share a joint account and she uses my credit card as if it was her own. What is hers is mine and what is mine is hers.
I could have typed the above.Whilst we run separate accounts we share a joint account and she uses my credit card as if it was her own. What is hers is mine and what is mine is hers.
20 years in, I have always earned more and paid most of the bills, mortgage etc. I can't imagine a relationship where people spilt everything 50/50 outside of a flat share with a virtual stranger.
We have a joint current and savings account, but keep our own personal accounts it's the best compromise for us we're both pretty independent and didn't want to ever have to ask the other to buy something.
I earn more than my wife, plus her outgoings are bigger - she has her own mobile, car, car costs, student loans etc when most of my day to day stuff comes with my job so I put in about double what my wife does.
But we're married, been living together for a long time, have kids etc.
Up the the OP and his partner how they play it, there's no right or wrong answer - actually there is a wrong answer, we calculated everything so we've got roughly the same amount of disposable income each month, the first time we went out for an evening after we did this my Wife sat here all sweetness and light when the bill came, when the Taxi driver was paid, the sitter etc - we split it later - the *look* worth the 5 min sulk ha ha.
I earn more than my wife, plus her outgoings are bigger - she has her own mobile, car, car costs, student loans etc when most of my day to day stuff comes with my job so I put in about double what my wife does.
But we're married, been living together for a long time, have kids etc.
Up the the OP and his partner how they play it, there's no right or wrong answer - actually there is a wrong answer, we calculated everything so we've got roughly the same amount of disposable income each month, the first time we went out for an evening after we did this my Wife sat here all sweetness and light when the bill came, when the Taxi driver was paid, the sitter etc - we split it later - the *look* worth the 5 min sulk ha ha.
briangriffin said:
I would say you take up a larger percentage of the rent/bills.
Put yourself in her shoes, she probably worries about money when you go out, go's out less with friends etc.
Have your disposable income levels closer to 50/50 rather than your share of the rent being 50/50 is my advice
I do have a lot more disposable income than her, despite her working harder (as much as it pains me to admit it to her Put yourself in her shoes, she probably worries about money when you go out, go's out less with friends etc.
Have your disposable income levels closer to 50/50 rather than your share of the rent being 50/50 is my advice
). So I'm starting to see why it would be a bit of a bone of contention, I'd probably feel the same way to be honest. just to add maybe the major amenites to be split. If she chooses to have the top mobile phone with the bumper contract when you're happy with a sim only then that comes out of each of your own disposable incomes.
likewise if you want sky sports and she has no interest in it whatsoever.
likewise if you want sky sports and she has no interest in it whatsoever.
Until we had kids, my partner and I always split the rent and bills 50/50. Most of the time, my partner earned more than me. I do think it's fairest. So what if you earn 50% more than she does - presumably she is still paying less as part of a couple than she would be if she was renting alone.
Once we had kids, we moved to entirely shared finances.
Once we had kids, we moved to entirely shared finances.
Budflicker said:
Feck me, what happens when you have a couple of kids and she stops working?
Surely all money you both earn as a couple goes into a joint account once you're a married couple and the joint account pays for everything the couple/family need.
We're not married, just moved in together last month. Three accounts - two personal, one joint.Surely all money you both earn as a couple goes into a joint account once you're a married couple and the joint account pays for everything the couple/family need.
Bit early for the K word just yet...
5-Oh said:
So I recently moved in with my partner. At present we split all costs by 50%, including rent.
She earns slightly less than 2/3rds of what I do, still has the student loan etc (I have finished paying mine off). At the end of each month she doesn't have a massive amount left (although her wage is fair), whereas I am able to keep topping up my savings account.
The other day she mentioned that many couples split the rent based on incomes, with the higher earner paying more, and that we should do that. Her job is a lot more hours and hard work than mine so think she's feeling a bit hard done by.
At first I dismissed it out of hand, 50% split is fairest I told her. Then I started wondering if I was being a bit miserly! So would be interested to see how other PH'ers do it!
Out of interest, how do you think the conversation would go if your positions were reversed? If you believe she'd happily pay extra and decrease what you pay then there's your answer...She earns slightly less than 2/3rds of what I do, still has the student loan etc (I have finished paying mine off). At the end of each month she doesn't have a massive amount left (although her wage is fair), whereas I am able to keep topping up my savings account.
The other day she mentioned that many couples split the rent based on incomes, with the higher earner paying more, and that we should do that. Her job is a lot more hours and hard work than mine so think she's feeling a bit hard done by.
At first I dismissed it out of hand, 50% split is fairest I told her. Then I started wondering if I was being a bit miserly! So would be interested to see how other PH'ers do it!
There are some of us who have to pay 100% of our bills; one of the disadvantages of living in your own. On the plus side, I do get to live on my own though so not all bad.
Edited by Funk on Sunday 11th October 20:15
I earn 4x what my wife does but it all goes into the same joint account and all the bills are paid from there.
And it has been like that for 21 years since we have been married, if we want something we discuss it and 9 times out of 10 it is a whim so does not get bought.
She can buy what she wants and so can I but there are boundaries, anything below £30 do what you like. Above that talk to me.
If it is in the £xxxx then there has to be a valid reason.
And it has been like that for 21 years since we have been married, if we want something we discuss it and 9 times out of 10 it is a whim so does not get bought.
She can buy what she wants and so can I but there are boundaries, anything below £30 do what you like. Above that talk to me.
If it is in the £xxxx then there has to be a valid reason.
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