Speaking of other halves ...

No need as I manage the money, by mutual consent ?

I did with my ex-husband. I had to keep it very secret otherwise he would have stolen it when I wasn't looking...not for the first time. Now I have no need of one. If I was really unhappy, I know my husband would be fair to him as long as I was to him. With his last wife, he willingly took on all the debts and gave her all the assets. The court threw the divorce out 3 times because the Judge couldn't believe he hadn't been coerced but my husband stuck to his guns because he said it gave her a chance to stay in the house with his kids. Six months later, his ex did the dirty on him by taking his kids to live 250 miles away. I hope he's not once bitten, twice shy. Perhaps he's a keeper, just in case!

Gabor shoes are lovely Ninarosa ...

A leaving fund of at least £5 k is a good idea, I read somewhere.

However it might not be possible to save if you are trying to leave a violent or paranoid partner who monitors your every move including your post.

Good luck to anyone saving because they need to or escaping for their safety ???

Norstat 46, You really should be on commission. I too have just bought a pair of boots in the Moshulu sale and also an early Christmas present of slippers for my son.

I don’t, but my MiL did. She kept a stash in her sewing patterns. Luckily SiL knew about it and didn’t just throw the patterns out when MiL died.

My granny advised me to keep some secret money, I think she would have been horrified if I had thought it was my leaving fund though!?

There were a few years when my DH was the only earner and he gave me housekeeping and an allowance so I didn’t have to keep asking him for money. It wasn’t much but we didn’t have much.
For most of my married life I have run my own business so we have a joint account and my business account ( that’s the one I share with the tax man!).
Luckily I haven’t needed a leaving fund but I do use my earnings for big purchases and if I had to go then I could.

Yes, though at the moment I would find it hard to rent a place I have 4 small dogs and at 73, I wouldn’t be able to buy! I fell for his promises once and came back and ended up being a cleaner/carer, in a house, which was originally rented then bought in my stepsons name, which, I have been told, if H dies before me the house will be sold and I won’t get a bloody penny. My stepson pays the mortgage but that is his board money and he loves to tell me and anyone else, it’s HIS house!
We went bankrupt when my H ‘forgot’ to make his company Limited. We lost everything including our beautiful home!
I don’t know why the hell I let myself be talked into coming back!
Our eldest dog has just died partly because he fed her all sorts of rubbish despite me begging him not to, the poor thing grew so fat, she ended up with pancreatitis, swollen liver and a heart problem! He killed her with pizza, biscuits and anything else she begged for!
I actually don’t like him at all!

I used to keep a secret stash when we were younger - no cards then, so everything was cash. My husband is such a 'spender' that I had to! (Not to leave on, but to live on!)

Fifty years on, and he's still the same. He has no clue what's in the bank, or what we can afford, and couldn't care less! So I have to keep a tight rein.

I've told him now that he cannot come grocery shopping with me any more. We usually get home with about seven carrier bags of goods, 50% of which we don't even need. Our cupboards, our 'fridge, our freezer, are stuffed! When I point this out to him, his response is, 'Aren't we lucky?'

Well, yes, we are. But who needs 19 tins of chopped tomatoes? (Last count.) Grrrrr!

All of our money, except the pension fund in DH’s name, is in joint accounts.

Yes. I was advised to set up an ‘RAF Account’ many years ago. Not had to use it ....yet ?

All of our money, except the pension fund in DH’s name, is in joint accounts.

You know that while in theory you should be able to access this, in practice people have had joint accounts frozen when one partner dies. And can if youre not careful (ie able to hire good legal advice) have the lot taken into account for care funding assessments etc (yes it shouldnt be but it often is in practice)

Yes I have a 'secret savings pot', I have always managed our finances as my husband simply refuses to get involved. Its a good thing too, he's absolutely hopeless with money.
'Money is for spending' is his mantra.

When my daughter decided to give up her job and live abroad with her (extremely unreliable) partner, I advised her to always stash a little money away each week in case it all went pear-shaped. It eventually did, but at least she had enough to get home and she had rented out her house so wasn't left homeless!

Well done Nozzle how was it? X

No I was so green it never entered my head I would need anything as a young mum with three children he controlled everything leaving bills unpaid to party, by the time I realised I had to get out and I needed to get something together I started trying to save literally odd pounds here and there I swear he smelt money it would always go wherever I hid it I remember once putting a small amount in a plastic bag in a tampon box in another plastic bag in the cistern .... it went
So I started the second part of my life with nothing having had nothing in the first part ??

Rene72, your last sentence made me chuckle ...
Lindiloo....19 tins of tomatos ? That gave me another laugh ?

Joint accounts are a nightmare when you are dealing with powers of attorney. Both partners have to agree to have the same attorneys.

My uncle and aunt named their attorneys separately, fortunately both chose the same person for one attorney. Otherwise every document/cheque etc had to have the signatures of one of each partner's attorneys, which when you do not live near each other can be difficult.

I was the one living nearest to the couple involved so dealt with the day to day care and incurred most of the expenditure. When I needed a bill paid I had a choice, sign the cheque and send it to Italy for the other attorney to sign and wait for it to come back or send the invoice to the common attorney to use the cheque books she had.

I do have a secret fund but not sure what for as of yet.

Rene, My OH would have been old news if he had dared to be so stupid as to feed the poor old dog like that! I`m serious.

We have our own money and a joint account for holidays we take together, food shopping etc. I don`t have a secret fund but do have a little house of my own that we have rented out on a short lease at the moment. That is my `just in case` security.

Never ever thought about it or needed an escape fund. We have been together for58 years. Married 55. We share most everything , money, decisions, even ironing and cooking. We are the best of friends and enjoy each other's company. Why would I need to escape ?

My first husband left me destitute, although thankfully I've never had debt. Since then I have maintained financial independence and have my own bank account, but a few years ago The Wonderful Man insisted on adding me to his current account. Having said that what's mine is his and what's his is mine and we have never had a single disagreement about money.

I wish!....

My Nan told me that when one of the girls at work (factory) was getting married, they passed round a stocking which everyone put a little money in. It was given with the idea that she should roll it up and put in her stocking drawer, for a rainy day.....
I have rarely heard this mentioned elsewhere, although I have heard some people add to the rhyme 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue....and a sixpence in her shoe' and wondered if it was related.
My mother, who had a long and happy marriage, called her money her 'flit fund' and my sister called hers something ruder (and she's coming up to her golden wedding!)

Same as BBbevan ? ( thankfully.)

I have been known to hide Maltesers though.?

You are very fortunate BBbevan not everyone is so lucky with their choice of partner.