IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP
FINANCIALLY COMPATIBLE?
Do you live in joint bank account harmony or simmering fiscal
resentment? Four couples reveal to Stylist exactly how they manage their finances
t’s fair to say that money
is the least exciting thing
about relationships. But
it certainly is important.
Sorting bills and whose
turn it is to buy milk are not a recipe for
romance – in fact, one in three couples
say money is the most stressful thing
about relationships and almost half
fight over household finances * I
.
So how do couples deal with their
finances in our current climate?
42 WWW.STYLIST.CO.UK
Historically, using a shared bank
account was as normal for a couple
as a shared bed. However, as many
women’s focus has shifted from home
to career, financial independence has
become something to covet, not fear,
sharing the money that you’ve worked
so hard to make or relying on your
partner for cash contradicts the
independent woman ideology of many
21st century women. Even ‘I do’ doesn’t
equal mutual finances: almost a third of
WORDS: CHRISTINA QUAINE
married couples now decide against
pooling their cash.
It’s not just a desire to retain
financial independence, it’s also about
money management. Surveys have
shown we’re actually better with
money than men * . Far from being
rampant shoppers, women are in less
debt than men and 57% of us know
exactly how much we have to spend
each month and when bills need paying
compared with 54% of men. And as
"I'LL HAVE A SNEAKY SHOT
OF VODKA IN MY ORANGE,
PLEASE. WE'RE ABOUT TO
DISCUSS OUR FINANCES…"
equality champions the way towards
a gender neutral working environment,
it looks like by the end of this year
more than two in three of us will earn
more than our partner. Considering
this, it’s perhaps not surprising that
we’re becoming more reluctant to
share our wealth.
Stylist decided to put these
statistics to the test by asking four
couples share how they tackle their
finances together.
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