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Splitting guide

How do you split bills with a partner on different incomes?

The EvenRound team · EditorialPublished 1 min read

Different salaries, shared roof. 50/50 isn't fair and percentage-of-income feels weird. Here's the middle path.

When one partner earns significantly more, splitting bills 50/50 stings. So does splitting strictly by income, which can make the lower earner feel like a junior partner in the household. The pattern that works for most couples is a proportional split on shared expenses (rent, utilities, weekly food) plus separate individual money for everything else. Set the proportion once, automate it, never recalculate after every pay rise.

Steps

  1. 01
    Add up your two net monthly incomes

    After tax, after pension. Use the most recent three months if income is variable.

  2. 02
    Compute each person's share as a percentage of the combined total

    If you earn £4,000 net and your partner earns £2,500, the combined is £6,500. Your share of joint expenses is 4000 ÷ 6500 = 61.5%; theirs is 38.5%.

  3. 03
    Apply the split to shared bills only

    Rent, mortgage, council tax, utilities, joint groceries, shared streaming. Not personal phone bills, individual hobbies, gifts. Keep those separate.

  4. 04
    Use a joint expense group in EvenRound with shares mode

    Set the participantShares weights to your two percentages (e.g. 615 and 385). Every shared expense automatically splits 61.5/38.5 with no maths.

  5. 05
    Recompute once a year, not every pay-day

    Renegotiate after a major change (job, parental leave, raise > 15%). Mid-year tweaks turn the system into a constant negotiation. The point of the rule is to stop the conversation.

Worked example

Couple in London, £2,400 rent, different salaries

Priya nets £4,000/mo, Tom nets £2,500/mo. Combined: £6,500. Priya's share is 61.5%, Tom's 38.5%. Rent of £2,400: Priya pays £1,476, Tom £924. Utilities of £180: Priya £111, Tom £69. Groceries of £400: Priya £246, Tom £154. EvenRound keeps the running tab; they settle up once a month from their personal accounts.

Equal isn't fair when incomes differ. Proportional is fair, automatic, and stops the conversation — which is half the point.

Set up a couples group

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