ATM

I was at an ATM machine earlier in the week standing in the queue, and I noticed a couple at one of the machines. The woman was at the machine but the man was right at her shoulder, peering at the screen, talking to her about the amount she was taking out. I was struck by this. I’m assuming this was a joint account.

And it got me thinking, at what point in a relationship do a couple come together and let each other know how much they have in savings, or do they never quite do that? Is the way round keeping your savings secret from your partner negotiated by simply agreeing to put in a certain amount of money into a joint account every month? Would it stop there or would your partner still be expecting you to volunteer further information on your remaining earnings?

At what point in a relationship do you let your partner know what money you’re on? There’s that risk isn’t there, that if you break up, this person is suddenly out there knowing what your earnings are and who’s to say they won’t disclose that to their next partner?

Let’s say you have £10k in savings. 10 grand your partner had no idea you had. Now, you spring that on them when you’re about to commit to each other, whether through marriage or living together or having a kid, it may be that your partner casts their mind back to your dates, and how much you spent on those nights, and retrospectively concludes that you’ve been a bit tight. They may wonder why, if you knew you had these savings, you made them go Dutch on the Nando’s meals?