We just have joined everything. If we split, it would be 50/50 but I'd probably end up giving her most of the stuff, I already find that we have way too much stuff as it is. I like the simplicity of it all even though it might not be advantageous financially for me.
Personally, I find that "fun money" is the easy part. We both splurge from time to time but it is reasonable for the most part. The hard part is the big shared expenses which you'll never be able to cover with "fun money" or it sucks to do alone (house renovations, cars, trips, entertainment etc.) for which 1 partner doesn't see the value of the shared expense.
- Removal of mould in basement
- Redid basement (plumbing + electrical)
- Full foundation waterproofing + french drain
- Full landscaping (asphalt, stone, sod)
- Full reflooring (tile + wood)
- Redid downstairs bathroom
- Redid garage
My suggestions?
- Keep things as simple as possible. I can't count the times I ended up creating problems by trying to be clever.
- Keep water out of the house. I would forego the basement completely and start from a concrete slab.
- Build on solid ground (i.e. rock) if possible
- Build on elevated ground with a good grade to keep the water away
The book “Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos” provides a good overview of how these airline reservation systems came to be.