How Couples Can Manage Different Incomes

What do you do if you and your partner have different incomes

When there is a financial gap between you and your partner, it can cause stress and problems. And if you have debt that can be even more of a stressor. Let us help you eliminate your credit card debt with this free, 7-Step Credit Card Debt Slasher.

How can queer couples successfully manage different incomes?

Is it possible to divide household expenses when incomes are vastly different, so everyone pays their fair share? Recently, a podcast listener sent us this question: My husband and I have different incomes. What’s the best way for us to manage our money together? Thank you for the question, Ash. We have some experience in this, so today we are talking about how couples can meet all their monthly obligations so that everyone is paying their fair share, even when there is a disparity in incomes. We’ll walk you through the three primary ways couples can divide expenses and discuss how your system for divvying up might change as your relationship evolves.

On this episode of Queer Money®, we give our pro tip for making sure you cover all your set expenses while easily managing those that vary, like utilities and dining out. Plus, we share our experience and what has worked for us in managing our household finances.

Get our tips for managing different incomes

Topics Covered

When do you expose your true financial picture to your partner?
How Prince Charming Syndrome keeps you tied to money lies
What is the most common way couples divide expenses?
When should you split expenses and when should each person pay what they’re responsible for?
What’s the most important thing to remember when sharing expenses?
What method works best when you have disparate or very different incomes
How to work things out so each partner feels like they are covering their fair share
Our pro tip for paying the set monthly expenses vs. those that fluctuate monthly
When does a hybrid between the 50/50 and the percentage split work best?
How divvying up evolves as the relationship progresses

Previous 3 Podcast Episodes

Connect with David and John

We’re David and John Auten-Schneider, the Debt Free Guys (www.debtfreeguys.com) and hosts of the Queer Money® podcast. We help queer people (and allies) live fabulously not fabulously broke by helping them 1) pay off credit card debt, 2) become part- or full-time entrepreneurs and 3) save and invest for retirement.