Saw a podcast clip that encouraged spouses to share finances.

Maritals should share one bed and one bank account.

The guest and the host both thought this was a basic, seemed amazed that folks could disagree.

Nice, in theory.  But people don’t live theoretical, they live actual, and methinks that might work for some but definitely not all.

Case in point:  Half, and the other half.

We actually started out with shared finances, but my debt and lackadaisical approach to money created shall we say strain and Half decided to keep Half’s $$$ separate, and now we just have our assigned bills.

Now, to be clear, one of the reasons Half keeps money is the same reason the rich stay wealthy … by not paying for stuff. 

Half has no problem letting a utility bill go into collections and service allllmost getting shut off, as long Half’s credit score is not impacted.

Credit cards tho’?  All paid timely, if not in full.  Same with mortgage, and car note (if we had one BUT WE DON’T BWAHAHAHAHA—sorry not)

Methinks me, on the other hand, would let the plastic fantastic swirl down the drain, wave buh-bye to a 700 credit score, and pay the gas bill on time.  But that’s me.

So the whole “shared bed, shared bank” idea is nice, and romantic, and lovely, but as theKid says, People gonna people, and as long as the folks who create the couple are on the same page re $$$, and it’s math = marriage for both, that can work.

If not?  Will not.

Admittedly, combined incomes build wealth, both immediate and generational, much quicklier (much more quickly?) and money discussions re future goals gets those goals accomplished sooner (soonerarily? no) so methinks me agrees with the ideal. 

However.

For Half and other half, money = mayhem, and creates a lot of contention.

Since finances are separate, and bills are assigned, and obligations are (generally) met, things have been on a much evener (much more even?) keel (oou yes, good Scrabble word … make a note / and ormolu … wat? yeh, using that … digress), zero arguments about $$$, altho’ Half occasionally gets salty because, well, Half.

And, and, some married couples don’t share a bed, for whatever reason … snoring, differing sleep schedules, etc., and while that might seem off for some, works for others.

Funnily enough, recall blip re parental advice for maintaining a marriage, and one dad told daughter that there are only two key issues that people need to agree on to have a successful union — sex & money.

Simplistic, and true. 

And what works, works. 

The real key?  Know thyself, and the other self one is committed to building a life with.
And know this: Marriage is debt owed to another.  {1 Corin. 7:38}

‘Cos after “I do,” it’s done.