I just got back from my first vacation with my boyfriend. After the trip, my boyfriend wanted us to split the cost 50:50( even every little thing we bought, like bottled water at the airport or a $3.17 Musubi). Everything needs to be precisely like if on the bill he didn’t eat that food, he won’t share, or if on the bill I don’t drink coffee, he will minus it for me .
He has a full-time job, while I am a full-time student with a part-time job. He thinks it’s fair to split everything 50:50, but I don’t agree. I believe we should still share expenses, but not necessarily split them exactly in half.
For example, if I paid for the airfare, he could pay for the hotel, or if he bought food, I could pay for the drinks. I feel like splitting everything 50:50 is more like a friendship than a romantic relationship. What do you guys think? Do you think my boyfriend’s approach is fair?
- Combined Finances - We pool our incomes and pay for all expenses from a joint account. 35%, 211 votes211 votes 35%211 votes - 35% of all votes
- Separate Finances with Shared Responsibilities - We keep our finances separate but have a clear agreement on who pays for what (e.g., one pays rent, the other pays for groceries and utilities). 27%, 161 vote161 vote 27%161 vote - 27% of all votes
- Proportional to Income - We split expenses based on our individual incomes. 19%, 115 votes115 votes 19%115 votes - 19% of all votes
- Alternating or Taking Turns - We take turns paying for expenses, such as one pays for groceries while the other covers utilities, or we alternate paying for meals out. 12%, 73 votes73 votes 12%73 votes - 12% of all votes
- Strict 50:50 Split for Everything - Every expense, no matter how small, is split exactly in half. 7%, 41 vote41 vote 7%41 vote - 7% of all votes
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.