Quick question re splitting bills and borrowing/lending money

[Derek Atkins]

Roland Roberts <roland at astrofoto.org> writes:

> Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I would agree with Derek --- don't try to
> account for it.  For most of these cases, I would just write off the
> dinner/lunch/whatever expense as something *I* spent and not try to
> even it out.  You *did* say this is your fiancee, not just a friend or
> girl-/boy-friend.
> 
> If it is important to you to put money in the pot for every outing, by
> all means do so.  In the long run, you should think really hard about
> how closely you want to try to track mutual expenses.  My wife and I
> joined our checking account late in our engagement period.  Now that
> we are married, GnuCash is a mutual accounting system for us---she has
> her "Pocket Book" account, and I have my "Wallet" account for cash
> expenditures.

For what it's worth, my wife and I don't even keep track of expenses
together.  We do have a one shared account, but we also have
individual accounts which are our primary accounts....  We do talk
about finances periodically, but at any given time I have no idea how
much is in her account and she has no idea how much is in mine.

Perhaps this isn't the best way, but it's worked for us and hasn't
caused much contention.  Considering I make more than she does (and I
pay the vast majority of the bills, too) it hasn't been contentious.
If there is a shortfall I can always "ask for help" and she'll write
me a check.

> If you want to continue with the level of accounting you originally
> asked, then Derek's advice will get you there.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available