How Couples Manage Money in 2025: There’s No One-Size-Fits-All—and That’s OK

Russell Paulson
Jun 13
2 min read

Let’s be honest—money can be one of the trickiest topics in a relationship. Whether you're newly dating, living together, or married, figuring out how to manage shared finances is rarely straightforward.

And here’s the truth: there’s no one “right” way to handle money as a couple. Some split everything down the middle. Others pool all their income into a joint account. Many do a hybrid.

Don’t believe us? Just take a look at these four real couples who all manage their money differently: Business Insider: Couples share advice on combining finances

Each approach works—for them. The key is finding a system that works for you.

How Couples Are Rethinking Money Management

As financial technology evolves, so do our habits. We’ve seen a shift from in-person banking to apps like Robinhood, Chime, and yes—even the dreaded Venmo request after dinner.

That’s why we created Smoov—an AI-powered tool designed to help couples handle shared expenses automatically and without the awkwardness.

Why Shared Expenses Matter in Relationships

According to recent data, 48% of couples choose to combine their finances. It makes sense. Most shared lives come with shared costs—groceries, rent, toilet paper, Netflix, and the occasional "should we really have bought that?" Costco run.

At the same time, not every purchase needs to be shared. You're probably not going to split the cost of your partner’s birthday gift with them. (At least, we hope not.)