If One of You Makes More, Can You Still Be Financial Equals?
Dear Carrie: We’ve been married for two years, and so far, my husband and I have pretty much split bills down the middle. That’s about to change as I become a full-time graduate student with limited income. I’m used to being a financial equal and am worried that I’m going to feel too dependent. How can we avoid this? —A Reader
Dear Reader: Great question, and one that has as much to do with your values as a couple as it does with your finances. Financial equality in a marriage doesn’t always mean that you contribute the same amount of money, but that you respect each other and choose to work as a team, no matter who’s on first financially.