In the beginning, everything felt simple.
We shared a plate of pasta, a Netflix subscription, and sometimes even the same blanket. We didn’t really keep track.
But then came the first rent, the bills, the grocery runs, the little weekend getaways… and a question started to creep in:

How do we split all this without losing our peace of mind?

Because yes, living together means building a life together.
But that life comes with a price tag.

In this article, we explore different ways to organize your couple’s finances, without imbalance or frustration.
So love never gets lost somewhere between the bills and the receipts.

1 – Start with the basics: the must-have conversations

Before figuring out who pays what, you need to know where you both stand.

Talking money might not feel romantic, but it’s essential. Because a couple is also a team — and in every team, clarity avoids conflict.

Here are a few questions to get the conversation going:

• What are our respective incomes? Do we both have visibility on our resources?
• Do we want to contribute equally or proportionally? A 50/50 split seems fair — but is it, if one earns twice as much?
• What are our shared fixed expenses? (Rent, groceries, subscriptions, gas, etc.)
• And the extras? Weekends, gifts, meals out, home decor… how do we include those without causing tension?

Not sure where to start?
Check out Financially Connected, the card game designed specifically to help couples talk more openly about money and align their vision !

Example:
Alex and Inès wrote down their answers separately, then sat down over coffee to compare notes. It cleared the air, and set the tone for teamwork.

2 – Expense-sharing methods: pick your team’s strategy

There’s no “perfect” way to split expenses, only the one that fits your rhythm.

The 50/50 split: easy, but not always fair
Each partner pays half of everything. Simple, clean… unless incomes are uneven.
The lower earner might end up feeling squeezed.
Example: Sarah made €1,200/month, Julien made €2,800. After six months of 50/50, she was constantly in the red while he kept saving. They changed their approach.

Proportional sharing: fairer, slightly more complex
Each person contributes based on income percentage.
If one earns 40% of the couple’s total income, they pay 40% of the shared expenses.
A shared spreadsheet can do all the math for you (and no, it’s not as scary as it sounds).

The joint account method: for the very close or very practical
Both partners deposit money into a shared account or envelope (physical or digital), and all shared expenses come from there.
It’s super fluid — but it only works with mutual trust. Ground rules are key: what goes in, what comes out, and what stays personal.

You can try different method for an amount of time to see which one suits you the best. 

3 – How to manage your budget as a couple

Once your system’s in place, you’ll need to keep track.

Here, transparency is everything.
Both partners should know where shared money is going.
It’s what keeps little resentments from building up — you know, the “Why did you order from that site again without telling me?” moments.

A few smart habits to test:

• A quick monthly review of shared expenses
• Apps like Tricount, Spendee, or Bankin’ to track spending
• A Google Sheet to log key figures in real time

And to go even further, we created a free and simple tool to manage shared expenses. Just enter your income and fixed charges, and it does the math for you.

Example:
Léa and Thomas started using it after three months of “Wait, how much did you say the electricity bill was?”

4 – Every couple is different

Let’s be honest — this may be the most important point.
There’s no universal rulebook.
What matters isn’t following the “Pinterest-perfect” method, but finding something that respects your pace, your values, your reality.

And since we grow and change, so do our finances.
The best habit? A regular couple check-in. A moment to reassess, ask questions, dream big, and adjust.

Example :
Marion and Fabien still use Financially Connected once a month, even after more than two years together. They draw a random card, and the question of the day — “What was your biggest financial frustration this month?” — sparks conversations they never would’ve had otherwise.