Hi Amanda, the cleanest approach is proportional contributions based on take‑home pay. Add up the shared monthly costs, then each person pays a percentage equal to their share of the combined after‑tax income. Example: if you take home 6,000 and your partner takes home 3,000, together that is 9,000, so you cover 67 percent and they cover 33 percent. If shared costs are 2,400, you would contribute 1,600 and they would contribute 800. Open a joint checking just for shared bills and set all shared bills to auto‑pay from it. Each of you sets an automatic transfer on payday for your share so you never have to tally week to week.
Decide what counts as shared versus personal up front. Most couples put rent and utilities, internet, household supplies, and basic groceries in the shared bucket, and keep personal subscriptions, hobbies, clothing, and eating out on individual cards. If one person wants pricier groceries or an upgrade, use a simple rule that the base item is joint and any upgrade difference is paid by whoever wants it. Use one shared credit card for groceries and household items so you do not need to keep receipts, and let the joint account pay that card in full monthly with a small buffer. Recalculate the percentages when salaries or fixed costs change, or do a quick check once a year. This stays fair without nickel and diming because each person contributes in proportion to what they earn while you both keep the rest of your money separate.
