These happy couples aren't sharing bank accounts—they're sharing spreadsheets

livemint.com:

Couples say they have found the financial formula for a happy marriage with a spreadsheet. The breakdown isn’t always a 50-50 split. Most U.S.

couples keep some of their finances apart, research shows. A Bankrate survey conducted late last year found that 62% of married adults and those living with a partner kept some or all of their finances separate. Those who keep their money separate say they have found it is best to divide the mortgage, car payment, Netflix and other bills based on each person’s income and whether both use it.

Couples who do this say it’s liberating and prevents fights over money. Ana Orellana, an engineer in the oil-and-gas sector, enters their $2,827 mortgage payment, daycare, insurance and other bills into Excel to calculate how to divide household costs with her husband, Ross Reichert. In June, she paid 56% of the shared expenses and Reichert the remaining 44%, based on the ratio of their salaries.

Each keeps whatever money is left. “He’s riskier with money," Orellana, 39 years old, said. “If I want to buy a dress, it’s my money.

If he wants to buy fishing gear, it doesn’t impact me." The setup preserves their independence, while they still work toward shared goals, like saving for retirement, she said. In nearly six years of marriage, they tweaked the formula about eight times to reflect changing salaries. “We have something tangible we can both look at.

There’s a lot of accountability," Reichert, 37, said. “We can’t argue with the math." Not everyone finds marital bliss from monthly audits. Couples who keep their money separate tend to be less happy in their relationships than those who merge their finances, several studies over the past five years suggest.