Finances

I love talking with Brad.  We have funny conversations and serious conversations.  We have our little jokes.  I don't feel scared about bringing up the serious stuff, either, which is awesome.  I have a partner that is going to support me and work with me to help me out of jams and plan for our future. 

Story time.  I overdrew my checking today.  Awesome, right?  I'm the most responsible 27 year old ever.  What I will say is that weddings throw off your budgeting completely and that it is hard to settle back down into reality.  Brad was going to write me a check for my birthday Land's End order and for part of the cell phone bill, so he just bumped up the amount a smidge to help me cover my butt until the next paycheck.  Not a big deal.  But finances and budgeting are big deals to us.  Brad and I see money differently and we are working towards combining accounts and making a budget and sticking to it hardcore.  So, I was upset that I stupidly overdrafted the account.  I don't normally do this and it bugs me that I was careless.  Brad just told me it was OK and gave me a hug.

What's really weird--if you know me--is that I'm looking forward to our budgeting discussion and setting my allowance (I'm the spender, he's the saver).  He and I both have financial goals that we want to meet and we're ready to start working towards that.  For instance, long-term we want to pay off my credit cards and buy a house.  Short-term we want to beef up savings (this will be a continual goal) and then buy furniture for the living room and bedroom. I figured once we buy furniture, paint, and anything else we need to spruce up the two rooms, we'll spend $1500 or so.

Children are also in our future and we need to make sure that we've got our stuff all straightened out before we add more to the grocery bill.  And Brad and I are looking at a not-so-distant time when we'll be OK to let things happen and see if we get a mini-Brad or a mini-Melanie.  All this means is that we've got to work this out.

How have you worked out finances with your significant other?  Did you combine all the way or do you have separate accounts?  For those not married, what do you see happening?  Do finances come into play now?