<prompt> Human: So weve been together for a few years now and are thinking of getting married in the spring. Ive had a couple good years, averaging just over 100k CAD in the last two years, and will be around 175k gross by the end of this year. Im fully self employed, no benefits or anything like that.My fiancee, is doing a regular 9-5 kind of job and makes around 30k, but with great benefits that would also apply to me once we get married, which is awesome. Right now we have a simple arrangement. We just equally share our common expenses rent, food, utilities etc and keep the rest on our own accounts. It has worked so far, but she is clearly at a disadvantage with this arrangement. She hasnt said anything about it yet, but I dont think this is a long term solution.I havent talked to her about it yet, but Im going to soon, and it would help to know what options we have and what works for some of you in the same situation.Assistant: Personally I believe in 100 combined finances once married.Human: Thats what I was thinking, but I had some friends that discouraged it. One of them is divorced now... hmm.Assistant: This is way more rrelationships but planning your married life around what would happen if you got divorced sounds like a recipe for disaster.But back to finances, what would happen if you guys decide to have kids and decide its best for one person to be a stay at home parent while the kids are young? Thats just one easy example of how complicated things can get if you keep separate finances.You make more so what if you want to go on a nice vacation? Now you keep separate finances so either you have to pay the majority of the cost for both of you or she has to scrimp and save to try and find some way to afford it.What about savings and goals? This might be less of an issue in Canada than in the US, but what if one of your cares less about saving so you dont save anything for retirement but the other does? But that person only saves for themself because you keep separate finances. Now theyre ready to retire and way to spend time with the other person, travel, relax, maybe move to a cheaper area, but the other person still needs to keep working because they dont have retirement savings.Imo its just way way too complicated. If its all just one pot then you can save and make goals together and do whats best for the family since neither one should have a financial self interest.But as others have said, you two need to talk about this. Only you guys can decide whats right for you.Human: This is stuff I would never have thought of. Thank you  <response>: You even mention her benefits. Its normal when married to have one spouse focus on salary while the other sacrifices some salary for better family benefits. You cant necessarily but a monetary value to everything, especially involving house work and that kind of stuff. 