[killbilly]

Different things work for different people.

My ex-wife and I had a joint account that we used for bills, groceries, etc - we had direct deposit, and since I worked from home, I usually had the time during the day to pay bills, etc. - with all the automation these days, it's pretty easy to keep track of stuff. Basically, if either of us wanted to spend more than $100 on a personal item, we checked with the other one to make sure it was cool. Mutual respect type thing.

I'd go with two individual and one joint if I was going to do it again. One joint for household stuff, and individual for "allowance."

My best friend isn't real good with money, but his wife is a bloody genius with it, so she gives him an allowance every month to play with (and it's significant - they both make a lot) and she handles the bills. Makes life easier for both of them, and he's happy knowing what he has to spend on guitars, software, beer and DVDs every month. Works out well for them.