Originally Posted by SparkMonkey

My fiance and I recently had a discussion about how we want to manage our money once we're married, and we decided that we'll have a main account for household/day-to-day/this-is-expensive-so-we're-in-on-this-together expenditures, and we'll each keep our current personal checking accounts with an equal monthly "allowance." Our personal accounts are how we'll pay for personal things like my crafting and his running shoes, as well as gifts and surprises we don't want ruined.

He'll always make more money than me, but I've never once felt like he viewed that as any kind of leverage or entitlement to more "say" in a matter. He values my opinion and there is 100% mutual respect between us. And on my side of things, I absolutely do not view him as a meal ticket or fund for my hobbies. It helps that neither of us is much concerned with having "stuff." I know he's not going to come home with a ridiculously expensive car, and he knows I'm not going to come home with a handbag that costs a rent payment. ;)

If we didn't agree on this, well... we probably wouldn't be engaged to begin with, but we'd most definitely have to at least come to a compromise before signing that paper. I am a loud-and-proud believer in complete equality in relationships, and I've got a really strong example in my parents. I can't begin to say how blessed I feel that J and I already see eye-to-eye on the important things.