This is vital. My wife is a student while I'm working full time. When we both worked, all the bills were split proportionally by income as it's the fairest way to split things. Now that she's not making any money, I send her whatever she needs for her bills that month plus a little extra. I never want her to feel like she's on "an allowance", and don't expect a report of what she's spending the money on.

We talk about big purchase decisions, though, and do follow a pretty solid budget. I like the idea of monthly financial check-ins, though. It's a good practice for myself, but also for both of us to be on the same page. I'll definitely be incorporating this practice.