Joint account or separate accounts? Managing a couple budget without a joint account

1. Everything shared: both paychecks go into a joint account, every expense comes out of it.
2. Yours, mine and ours: a joint account funded by both each month for household bills, plus a personal account each for the rest.
3. Separate accounts: each partner keeps their own account, pays some shared costs and you settle up regularly.

Pooling income is common in France: according to Insee, in 2010, 64% of couples living together for at least a year (with at least one partner working) pooled all their income, 18% part of it and 18% none. In other words, more than a third of couples kept at least some of their money separate.

A joint account is held in the names of two or more people, each of whom can use it alone. It is handy for direct debits such as rent, utilities or insurance.

• Pros: one place for bills, a clear view of what the household costs, automatic monthly transfers.
• Cons: possible extra bank fees, purchases visible to the other partner, and shared liability: as a rule, each holder can be asked to repay the full overdraft.
• If you separate, you need to agree on the balance and close or convert the account, which usually takes both holders.

Some app-based banks also offer shared accounts. For example, French provider Sumeria offers a “shared account” for two or more people rather than a classic joint account.

With separate accounts, each partner stays in charge of their own money. It is often the choice of couples who have just moved in together, have very different incomes, or have been through a messy breakup before.

• Pros: no paperwork, no extra fees, no liability for the other partner’s debts, financial privacy.
• Cons: you need to divide up the bills, record who pays what and pay each other back. Without a tool, it gets fuzzy fast.

1. List your shared expenses: rent, bills, groceries, shared subscriptions, nights out together.
2. Pick a splitting rule: 50/50, by income, or mixed. The split by income calculator helps you set the percentages.
3. Divide up the direct debits: for example, one partner pays rent, the other utilities and internet. The balance comes later.
4. Log every shared expense with who paid it, when it happens.
5. Settle up once a month with a simple transfer.

Step 4 is what holds it all together, and it is exactly what SAVY does: you add shared expenses in seconds, the app shows who owes whom, and one tap on “Mark as repaid” updates the balance. Rent and subscriptions can be set up as recurring expenses. SAVY never connects to a bank: only the expenses you add to the household are shared.

What matters is not having the “right” banking setup, but rules that are clear to both of you. For the splitting methods themselves, see How couples split expenses.