<prompt> Human: My fiancé and I are preparing to combine our finances. We have zero debt bedsides a mortgage payment on a house that we are soon closing on. We are pretty financially responsible. We both have incomes that are within 30 of each other.How does a couple properly combine finances as far as budgets? Does each person get an allowance? What if I want to buy a new expensive widget? Do I save my allowance for several months then purchase it? What if I want to go out of town for the weekend with some friends? Obviously, I expect and clear communication is pretty necessary. But are there any other success stories about ground rules? Is there a generally accepted advice that we should know of going in?  <response>: The biggest thing here is that there is no right way. You have to do what works for the two of you.Some couples combine everything. On this case, you should have a clear agreement about how you will spend money and how much each can spend without consulting the other i.e. over 100 or 500 should get discussed or whatever, depending on your typical budget.Some couples combine nothing and simply divide up responsibility for different expenses.Usually, there is a compromise somewhere in-between. I personally like the idea of each person having their own bank account from which they can spend or save as they please. Perhaps in addition to a joint bank account that pays for shared expenses. You should both agree to whatever plan you make and neither of you should feel taken advantage of. Check in on your joint finances regularly so that little issues can get addressed while they are still little. 