Living together, getting married and debt

We are moving in together – how do we deal with bills?

Sharing a home and a life with someone else changes things.

Living expenses like food and household bills cover two people now.

Talk to your partner about priority bills and living expenses before you move in together.

Ask them:

• Can one person afford more costs than the other?
• Should you set up a joint bank account or pay for things separately?
• Will one of you pay the other ‘housekeeping’ money?

Build a budget together to see:

• How much money you have coming in
• Where you spend your money each month
• How much you have left over after living expenses

You can download our budget template in either PDF or Excel.

Ask family and friends for advice on handling household bills with a partner.

Save money on your wedding and moving in together

Does anyone you know have anything you can borrow or buy?

Are there any ‘hand-me-down’ furnishings they can give you for your new home?

Look around for deals on bills like your utilities or TV package.

Switch to shopping at a cheaper supermarket if you can.

And make the most of your local charity shop. They can be a great resource for high quality:

• Furniture
• Kitchenware
• Clothes

Explore more of our money-saving and money-making tips:

• How to save money and increase income
• 7 days 7 ways

How will my partner and I cover wedding costs?

Give yourself plenty of time to save up for the costs of getting married.

Sit down with your partner and work out what you can afford to spend on your ceremony.

You will learn more about what you need as you plan. This includes costs like:

• The wedding dinner
• Clothes
• Entertainment

Keep reviewing these costs and your budget. Adjust your plans if things are too expensive.

You usually cannot take out credit if you are on a debt solution. But:

• You may be able to use the Help to Save scheme
• You can look at other ways to save money while paying off your debts

Can we get married without spending lots of money?

Wedding costs rise as you add things into the day. High ticket items tend to be things like:

• The venue
• Food and drink
• Clothes

The actual ceremony itself is usually cheaper by comparison.

Many couples elope to get away from an expensive wedding reception.

The government website has more information on getting married or entering a civil partnership abroad.

Make sure you have a plan to handle any disappointed family and friends if you elope.

Our family want to help with wedding costs. What should we do?

Sometimes family members offer to help with wedding costs.

Make sure you know if you need to pay them back before you accept. It is technically a loan from family and friends if you do.

You must tell your debt solution provider if:

• Your family give you a loan for the wedding
• Your family give you cash you do not have to pay back for your wedding

Will I inherit my partner’s debt if we get married?

You are not liable for debts only in your partner's name, however you are liable for:

• Any joint loans
• A joint mortgage
• A joint bank account
• Council tax debt they may owe on a shared property

This is called 'joint and several liability’.

Joint debts taken out by unmarried couples work in the same way.

You are not responsible for any credit agreements or financial obligations your partner takes out before you marry.

We’re in debt after getting married – what can we do?

Get free and confidential debt advice if you are struggling with debt after your wedding.