We keep a joint account for living expenses...house payment, monthly bills, food, vet bills...you get the idea. We also have our own accounts for fun/everyday, fuel, car insurance, etc.; we also set aside monthly amounts for home remodel stuff and so on. 401K, and payroll related savings/retirement come out as well. Works for us, I had to teach her financial discipline; took a while but finally she cam around. Debt elimination (credit cards/accounts) is they key to your money working For you instead of it always going out the door every month. Every relationship is different they say. In my opinion, only 1 person should handle 1st tier financial stuff like house payment/rent, bills, and such...much less confusion and friction. Just sit and talk through a plan that works for both and always factor in those $1000 crisis things like refrig goes out, washer/dryer goes out, water heater...you get the picture.