Monthly bills - POLL

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I should be the one paying it, but he does it.

[nukeswife]

We've been married almost 16 years and I do it all. He could if it came to it, but with him deploying as often as he has, it was always just easier for me to do it.

 

I only write 2 checks a month (on to dd's art teacher and one to the orthodontist) everything else is paid online.

[Starr]

He does, I should. :svengo: It's not that he insists but he really wants to do them. Go figure.

[Ellie]

I pay all the bills.

 

No one balances the checkbook. We pay for everything with the credit card, and I pay off the credit card each month (we're behind now because of the year that Mr. Ellie was unemployed, but I'm making inroads on the balance).

[Carrie12345]

I physically pay the onine bills. He physically buys and mails money orders for the few mail bills. I insist he do money orders because I balance the checkbook and hate to deal with outstanding checks!

[mom31257]

I do it, but I have a math degree, love paperwork and such, do our taxes, etc. Dh would not enjoy doing it, and honestly, would probably forget sometimes.

[Hypatia.]

I do, mainly because DH was in the Navy (now retired) so it made sense for me to handle the finances. Now it's just habit.

[Renthead Mommy]

About 10 years ago the husband deployed for 4 months. I took over the bills that weren't already on instant pay. I also neatly stacked up the credit card recieps for each month. Even put them in date order. (However i refused to go back and check them off credit card statement!)

 

He came home. I offered to keep paying the bills. He agreed. Then he went to check off the credit card reciepts. THEN he found out the checkbook was .10 cents off. 10 CENTS!! He went back over the last four months, found the stupid dime.

 

I'll give him credit. He didn't say "Oh my god, you are lousy at bill paying!" (I wasn't, it was only 10 cents!) But smart man that he was came out and said he was going to have to re take over teh bills because he really was too anal retentive to let me do it even though he knew 10cents was no big deal. He just wasn't going to be able to handle it. He'd have to know it was completely correct down to the last penny.

 

I said have at it and haven't looked back!

 

H did luckily get past the checking off the credit card reciepts. Now he just asks if something seems odds.

[sheryl]

 

Yeah I had to read further to see if it meant who funds the bills or who pens the bills.

 

I pen, DH funds.

 

 

Yep, that's it. My dh funds and pens! LOL! Sounds like a game.

 

I do it, but I have a math degree, love paperwork and such, do our taxes, etc. Dh would not enjoy doing it, and honestly, would probably forget sometimes.

 

 

Smart mathy move on your part!

 

About 10 years ago the husband deployed for 4 months. I took over the bills that weren't already on instant pay. I also neatly stacked up the credit card recieps for each month. Even put them in date order. (However i refused to go back and check them off credit card statement!)

 

He came home. I offered to keep paying the bills. He agreed. Then he went to check off the credit card reciepts. THEN he found out the checkbook was .10 cents off. 10 CENTS!! He went back over the last four months, found the stupid dime.

 

I'll give him credit. He didn't say "Oh my god, you are lousy at bill paying!" (I wasn't, it was only 10 cents!) But smart man that he was came out and said he was going to have to re take over teh bills because he really was too anal retentive to let me do it even though he knew 10cents was no big deal. He just wasn't going to be able to handle it. He'd have to know it was completely correct down to the last penny.

 

I said have at it and haven't looked back!

 

H did luckily get past the checking off the credit card reciepts. Now he just asks if something seems odds.

 

 

I'm LOL right now. You described MY DH! It has to be 100% reconciled. Oh, this is just too funny. They would get along well, I'm sure.

[Mom-ninja.]

My dh loves paying the bills. He loves it. It's like some kind of ritual for him or something. I did it for the first few years of marriage, but after my second baby I stopped. I decided I had enough to do. Then dh told me he likes doing it so he can be my guest.

 

Drives my mother insane because I don't "know how to pay the bills and figure out the budget." She doesn't seem to understand that choosing not to do something does not = cannot do something.

[Audrey]

I've always taken care of all the finances. My dh gets stressed out by finances. He'd just rather not know. He prefers to just ask me "can we afford xyz?" It's not my favourite task, but I don't mind it so much.

 

Dh does a lot of other things that stress me out, too, so it's a fair swap. ;)

[sheryl]

My dh loves paying the bills. He loves it. It's like some kind of ritual for him or something. I did it for the first few years of marriage, but after my second baby I stopped. I decided I had enough to do. Then dh told me he likes doing it so he can be my guest.

 

Drives my mother insane because I don't "know how to pay the bills and figure out the budget." She doesn't seem to understand that choosing not to do something does not = cannot do something.

 

Yep again, that describes my dh. He's "really" into it. LOL! He LOVES knowing we owe not a dime - other than mortgage - to anyone! That lasts, oh, 2 weeks until the cycle begins again. ROTFL What am I not getting here.

[AngieW in Texas]

I took over paying the bills even before we got married. My dh didn't consider a bill due until he got a notice that whatever it was would be cut off in the next 3 days. Then he would go to the place and stand in line to pay in person. I don't know what his deal was with not being willing to put a stamp on an envelope and send out the bill in a timely manner.

 

I pay nearly all of our bills through billpay online. It's very convenient because I can quickly glance down the pay roster to see if something is coming up that I haven't paid yet.

[Lily_Grace]

We both pay them. One bill has to be paid in town, so whomever is closest that day stops and takes care of it. The rest are set up to go out through our individual logins at our online bank.

 

Dh and I budget together, too. I find it easier and much more relaxing if we're both on the same page about our short and long term goals. We'll sit down about once a week and go over the figures and projected expenses for the next two months.

[lailasmum]

Ours are all direct debits or standing orders, I give them a look over occasionally but they are automatic.I don't think either of us have written a cheque to pay a bill in years.

[Tap]

Both. He pays household. I pay daycare, tuition, kids classes, most medical/dental and send him money electronically for my portion of the CC. There are only one or two bills that are paid by check (all I can think of are daycare 4x per year and taxes) and mailed, most are electronic or at time of service.

[Laura Corin]

Ours are all direct debits or standing orders, I give them a look over occasionally but they are automatic.I don't think either of us have written a cheque to pay a bill in years.

 

Yes. The only cheques we write are for extracurricular activities for the kids and occasional things like repair bills.

 

Laura

[Isabella]

I used to do all of it, but dh is OCPD, and didn't like that every so often one got paid late etc, so he took over. He hates it, and complains (and makes the odd mistake himself), but he wanted it, so he's got it!

[mlktwins]

I do everything financial. DH jokes that I hand him his "weekly allowance" (meaning I hand him cash each week because I am the one who goes to the bank.)

He doesn't even have a debit card (his choice). he just carries 1 CC for "emergencies" and let's me know if he charged something.

Truly if something happened to me , he would be "up a creek" as the old saying goes. I so need to set up a "what if" binder for him......hmm...

 

This is me too. DH is quite capable, but he has NO desire to do this. I do the taxes as well. Last year I finally got that "what if" binder done for him -- LOL!

[lynn]

When we get bills in the mail we enter them immediately into our online checking to be paid

[mom@shiloh]

Initially I voted that I paid the bills, but then I changed it to both. I do pay the bills, but he reconciles the checkbooks on-line. I like the system because then we're both aware of where we are financially.

[Lizzie in Ma]

It was me for many years. Then dh stopped getting a regular paycheck when working for himself and it got to be nuts, I never knew what might be coming in and I couldn't budget.

So he has been doing it ever since.

[laughing lioness]

Dh. I would do it but he can't sleep at night if I don't balance to the penny. Plus, he is an independent contractor so our income varies wildly by the check. He is better at managing the flux.

[mytwomonkeys]

he earns the cash, but i'm 100% in charge of our budget and pay all of the bills (and take care of the taxes). my husband would totally help if i asked him too, but i don't need his help honestly. i'm a budget ninja :)

[MiniBlondes]

Oh goodness. I despise checking/banking accounts. I always have and I always will. I'm a cash only kind of girl.

 

My husband is the financial guru of our family. He can balance a checkbook like nobody's business. He can also run a mean budgeting system, allowing and planning for events in the future that I've not even thought of. He gives me a set amount of cash for specific things every week. I pay with cash and he uses the debit card. I have a debit card for use in emergencies only. This was my decision, not his. I know that unless I pay with cash, I will overspend. Every time. We call it a 'modified Dave Ramsay approach'.

 

He will give or show me any financial information that I ever request but I rarely ever ask for it. It stresses me out. I do know that everything gets paid for and the savings account continues to grow. That's all that really matters to me.

[Erin]

double post

[Erin]

Despite the fact that DH is the one with the business degree, I'm the one in charge of the family finances.

 

DH had a ranch job a few years ago and payday happened to be on a day when all the employees were together at the main ranch, working calves. The general manager handed him his paycheck. He opened it and said, "This is what I make?!?"

The GM took it back out of his hand and said, "Oh yeah. I forgot. I'll run this up to Erin after lunch." :lol:

[SKL]

I'm single, so I'll talk about my mom and dad. My mom took over the bills early in their marriage, because in her opinion my dad wasn't responsible enough with money. If you ask my dad, he might say the same about my mom, but whatever. :) I don't really know who pays the bills in my siblings' marriages. One sister has a rather controlling husband who doesn't like her to know everything about the money (second-hand info here). I think in their case, they both pay certain bills.

[twoxcell]

I take care of the bills and bank account. Growing up my dad always did that and he still does.

[dm379]

I do everything except fund. He funds the bills. I fund food, fun, education and gas. It makes sense for me to take care of the finances since he is gone so much. I do have a file entitled "in case I die" where it tells him exactly what needs to be done. He never asks but usually once a week or so I feel the need to tell him how much money we have in the accounts. He usually asks if he wants to spend more than $50 or so. We haven't been overdrawn yet and once I got my system down we haven't been late at all so it works for now.

[DawnM]

I do. DH is the accountant, but I am the control freak. I want to know exactly what our income and outgo is and plan accordingly. I don't control HIM at all, I just want to have a really good handle on our finances and where it is all going.

 

My BFF and her DH have a basket they put all their bills in and sit down once every two weeks to write checks together and discuss finances. For us, that would be overkill, but it works for them.

 

Dawn

[PuddleJumper1]

I pay bills and have for most of our marriage. Dh can do it if he needs to. We do have most things set upon monthly payments so it isn't very much right now, but I do balance the checkbook and make sure that the credit card bills don't have anything funny on them.

This is us exactly

[Lady Florida.]

Dh does ours. He did the bills when we first got married, then I took over after ds was born. I'm not good at it, was often late for no reason (IOW, we had the money to pay but I was disorganized about paying on time), and I hated it. I did a poor job of paying my bills when I was single too. He's been doing the bills for most of our marriage, and that isn't likely to change.

 

Oddly enough, I do the taxes. He hates that part, but I don't mind it all.

 

ETA: With a few exceptions, all of our bills are paid online. We don't "balance the checkbook" because we only write one or two checks a month. We use our Visa check card for most things, cash for a few, and though we kept one CC for emergencies when we decided to quit buying on credit, we've never had to use it.

[Jennifer3141]

Wait. It's my DH's work that pays FOR the bills. But I am the one who pays our bills physically.

[lexi]

My hubby does all of it-and our taxes too! He works in finance so he likes doing all or it and creating the budget and doing spreadsheets. I let him have at it! He gives me my budget and its all good :)

I would rather do anything than balance the checkbook!

[applethyme]

Dh and I sit down and do the check book and bills together every week or at the most every other week.

[extendedforecast]

Currently, my husband pays the bills. In the past I've done it solo, or we've done it together. When his business takes up more of his time, he will probably ask me to take over again.

[a27mom]

Dh does taxes/farm accounting for a living, so he does the bills and most everything financial. I do write checks where nice handwriting is required (gifts etc...)

 

I am perfectly capable, and know all our balances and stuff. But dh excels at it and enjoys it. So that is just fine with me. I have on occasionally paid bills during tax season.

[regentrude]

Neither. We hardly ever write checks for bills- mortgage, utilities, phone etc get automatically deducted from our account. Credit card gets paid online (DH does that). The only bills we pay by check are for the children's activities (riding, TKD) and the orthodontist; I write those.

Nobody in our house balances a checkbook; we have online banking taking care of that.

[T'smom]

Dh. He's one that would be bothered by being off by 10 cents. He checks the account balance daily and has been known to call me and ask where I am and what I'm doing if I use the debit card in a place he doesn't expect me to be. (Not in a controlling way....like the last time I had taken the kids to bounceland because of a last minute invitation from a friend and bought gas in a different town)

[Guest]

I nearly always pay them.

[LivingHope]

Dh pays the bills...

and I pay for the books...amazon prime. Works out great for me.

[Hoot]

I did it for years but DH hated my way of doing it so he took over. I like it better that way anyway. He also does all the grocery shopping. Don't hate. :p