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I rarely talk about money or my personal finances with others. But occasionally, a conversation will come up in which I’ll reveal routine financial matters. Over the years, I’ve casually mentioned the fact that my husband and I have separate bank accounts. He pays his portion of the bills from his account, and I do the same. We’ve had this system in place since Day One, and it’s never failed. In fact, in seven years of marriage, I can’t recall ever having a fight over money.

Joint Accounts: Not For Us

I understand that many couples choose to have joint accounts. Some deposit all their money into one account, whereas others have a joint account for household bills while maintaining a personal account. This is fine–whatever works for those households is great. Yet the few times I’ve mentioned our little arrangement to others, I often received dropped mouths and confused looks. “What do you mean by ’separate accounts’?” people ask. Maybe I’m naïve, but I didn’t think keeping money separate was a foreign concept. If anything, I thought it would alleviate unnecessary headaches.

No Secrets

Although we choose to keep our money separate, my husband and I are open about finances. We can definitely assess each other’s money. However, we don’t have a habit of dipping into the other person’s account. I know how much money is in his account and vice versa. There are no secrets, and we don’t hide anything from each other. If I sit next to him while he’s checking his bank account online, he doesn’t immediately shut down the computer or shoo me away.

It Just Makes Life Simple

If all our money went into one account, there would be problems. Although I’m good with money, I never balance my checkbook–but I’ve never bounced a check. I check my account balance every morning to see which bills have cleared. If I use my debit card during the day, I mentally deduct the money. My husband is the complete opposite. He writes down every transaction, and he balances his checkbook down to the penny. Couples who share an account have to keep accurate records. Forgetting to write down one transaction can send your finances into a tailspin. And let’s not forget checking in with each other before making a purchase. Personally, I don’t want to deal with all the back-and-forth.

Okay, Maybe We’re Control Freaks

My husband and I don’t joke about finances. We’re interested in saving money, keeping a good credit history, and so forth. It’s possible that our obsession with money management has made us a tad bit controlling. Rather than share that control and merge our accounts into one, though, it’s easier to manage our own accounts. We’re in full control, and we don’t have to deal with opinion clashes or adapting to a new system. It works for us!

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