Real Couples' Money Talks: 5 Picks on Joint Finances for Dual-Income and Stay-at-Home Spouses #CouplesFinance xoxo

2017.02.07 published

I Heard About the Money Talk of Brides!

Hello, I’m Yuki from the marry editorial team.

Recently, the representative of marry created an article related to managing money in couples, and it became a very popular piece.

➡ Check out the article "How Is Everyone Managing? 4 Patterns of Money Management Among Couples Who Both Work" here

How to manage money as a couple is an eternal question that has existed in every era.

Of course, there are as many ways to manage money as there are couples, and there isn’t necessarily a correct or incorrect way...

However, it’s still interesting to see how couples of the same generation manage their finances...

It’s only natural to be curious and want to take inspiration from good practices! This is the bride’s heart, or perhaps the wife’s heart? The heart of a homemaker?

Therefore, this time, we asked the brides who are looking at marry about their couple's financial situations ♩

About "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo"

We are holding an Instagram project called "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo."

"#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" is where brides openly discuss their money management methods for couples on Instagram.

➡ For more details, click here＊

Looking at about 50 posts, there were many different environments among the couples who both work, part-time workers, and full-time housewives. I learned so much that I didn't know!

It’s all very educational!＊

marry-xoxo.com

This time, I will pick up and introduce the posts of 5 brides-to-be and graduated brides from "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo"＊

① Bride Manages Money Style＊

What is the "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" of the working bride @kameinanae?

The theme of the Kamei household is "equality." Haha

Though we both work, I'm in charge of managing our finances♡

① We deduct (living expenses & savings) ÷ 2 from each other's take-home pay. In other words, we split it equally.

② The amount left from my take-home pay after the deduction becomes my allowance! So, the monthly allowance amount varies(^^) My efforts are directly reflected.

Both my husband and I agreed on the allowance system, but I wanted to create a motivating system. With this system, any increase in salary goes straight to the allowance, making my husband work hard! Haha

And I feel motivated to work harder too♡

Aim for our dream home♡ I want to escape this unnecessarily large and cold room soon... crying

② Money is Contributed Equally Style＊

What is the "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" of the working graduated bride @mgsk0515_wedding?

In my household, both my husband and I work, so we contribute about half each✨

Husband's expenses💸

Rent, utility bills, parking fees, car-related expenses, and other personal expenses (mobile phone bill, insurance, communication costs, etc.)

My expenses💸

Food expenses, allowances for both my husband and me (we call it a login bonus✨ Haha), student loan repayments, and other personal expenses (mobile phone bill, insurance, communication costs, etc.)

We also created a joint account where we deposit a fixed amount every month👛

We've put a hold on our honeymoon for now due to the costs of the car repairs and insurance💦💦

We manage our finances like this👛💕 But the real issue is that saving money is quite difficult😭💦💦

I've been setting aside some savings, and while a little is accumulating in that account, I wonder if that's enough💦💦

I'm thinking about joining a personal pension plan for future considerations, but I don’t have enough money to invest in that😭😭😭

I haven't updated my household budget recently because I've found it tedious💦 Maybe it’s time to reassess our finances😔💦

③ Separate Wallets Style＊

What is the "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" of the currently non-full-time working bride @ab.hapi_wd?

The Abe couple keeps their wallets separate*₍ᐢ•ﻌ•ᐢ₎

However, we put a fixed amount in the living expense wallet every month. Managing it is my job! The savings and income are managed individually✧

In my household budget, I record living expenses in black and use colored pens for my personal expenses. I have no idea about my husband's expenditures. Haha

My husband actually pays a bit more! Given our incomes, I am also trying hard( ⍤ )

All maintenance costs and gas fees are taken care of by my husband ( ˊ̱˂˃ˋ̱ ) They are not included in living expenses. By the way, dining out is also not included in living expenses, and we split that using our personal funds.

I don’t like my wallet getting too heavy, so when I accumulate coins, I transfer them here. For some reason, this leftover change goes into a Yuucho account. Oh, since it's my own money, it goes into my account♡

The 500 yen savings box is for when I accumulate 500 yen in my wallet. I immediately put it in the savings box, and when it's all full, I don’t withdraw it. I have only managed to fill it once since starting to work. It’s a slow process.

The Abe couple also has savings, where we deposit a fixed amount monthly.

And here’s my passbook case♡ It’s my favorite Rapunzel design⑅◡̈*

I thought that since my parents did it, after getting married, it would be the wife who manages the finances, but there are various ways of management among couples (´･_･`) My husband does not smoke, gamble, or go out drinking much, so as long as he can manage, I plan to let him handle things.

Currently, I am not a full-time employee, so despite having a low salary, I continue to save the same amount as when I was a full-time employee, making me somewhat financially constrained. Haha I think about changing jobs or taking on side jobs. If the wallets are separate, it makes me realize that I need to put in the effort to increase my discretionary funds (ಠ_ಠ).

I feel reluctant to use my husband’s hard-earned money for my own expenses, even after combining our finances (Is this just how I feel now? Haha)

I feel like the worries about money never end. We will have a wedding soon. We might want to go on a honeymoon. And we want to consider having children, right? Oh my goodness ʕ*̫͡*ʔ Haha

④ Managing with Husband’s Income Style＊

What is the "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" of the part-time working bride @h__wedding?

I learned about business management and accounting when I was a full-time employee, so I handle the finances.

★ My husband is a full-time employee while I work part-time two to three times a week. I save all of my salary, and manage using my husband's income.

★ Cash Management

I use "Zun's Household Budget" as a reference for management and analysis. I set the food expenses weekly. My husband receives his allowance weekly. Since I prepare lunch and drinks at home, it usually doesn't get spent unless there are social events.

I often make homemade side dishes for bento, as many frozen foods contain allergens.

I set the monthly expenditures for daily necessities. Other expenses are also set monthly.

↑ Roughly for clothing, medical expenses, and wedding preparations.

★ Card Management

Rent, utility bills, mobile phone bills, and life insurance are all paid through Rakuten cards. I thought that the points from Recruit had a better return rate, but Rakuten seemed easier to use.

★ Remaining Money

I deposit any remaining money into a savings account, compensating for any deficit. That also goes to my personal allowance←

The cash I manage is set to an amount that I can use up, and since we both love to eat, we often treat ourselves to meals without forcing ourselves to save ( ¨̮ )

⑤ Husband Managing the Money Style＊

What is the "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" of the working graduated bride @ayano_1204wedding?

In my household, we both work and earn income, but I deposit all of my salary for my husband to manage💰

I’m really bad at saving‼︎

It’s embarrassing at my age, but the more I have, the more I tend to spend...😰

I started working when I was 20, and just about all the savings I accumulated until I got married disappeared due to moving and childbirth💦💦

My husband is type who meticulously saves without any desire for material things.

I believe it’s best for those who are good at it to handle it✨

Monthly, I receive funds for fixed costs like groceries, daily necessities, allowances, child expenses, and transportation costs, while everything else goes into the couple's account💸 So I only keep the bare minimum and my allowance.

Thanks to this, we can consistently save every month◎ I’m grateful that my husband manages things well, which allows us to go on family trips!

I was really worried during our engagement💦 Talking about money is important, but it’s not easy to bring up...

It wasn’t until we got married and were about to have a child that I finally talked about it💦

Now that our child is born, I’m saving just a tiny bit for the baby from my allowance (#birth weight). I wonder if I’ve learned what it means to save😋 Haha

My husband doesn’t know about the secret saving I’m doing for the baby㊙️

How is your house managing finances?

I have shared the engaging stories of 5 brides in "#Couple's Financial Situations xoxo" because they seem so interesting to read.

Each of them manages their finances in their own way while trying to navigate challenges for their future.

Why not take this opportunity to reflect on how you manage money as a couple?＊

Consulting a Financial Planner is also a Good Idea!

If you're worried about money, consulting a financial planner is recommended!

Talking about it with a third party, who is a professional in finance, might make it easier to see your future plans and say what you want compared to just having a conversation with your partner♡

At marry, we can introduce Ms. Takahashi, a former wedding planner turned financial planner, so if you're interested, please feel free to reach out via LINE! (You can consult for free via LINE or ZOOM!)

➡ Add us on LINE using this link🔗

➡ Check out more detailed articles about financial planners here♡