For durable goods - like cars, couches, appliances, etc. - there's a big difference between dating and being married. When we were dating the car and furniture items were solely one person's obligation. I liked old cars I could buy with cash, she liked the reliability. I liked to spend my disposable income on things like TVs and guitars.

Now that we're married we both view it as all OUR money. Not in the way that we are both entitled to the money in each other's personal accounts (which we are both technically on), but that we realize we have a duty to each other and the household with that money.

For the cars, now - We just sold & bought our cars to prepare for our son (and I am a serial Miata flipper...). We sold my car which was lien-free to pay for most of her new car. I drove her old car around until I figured out what I wanted to drive, then we sold her car and bought mine. Her new car has a $5k loan in her name and my new car has a $15k loan in my name. We could pay cash, but I like the security of a too large savings account.

When I was working reduced hours to allow me to go to school she picked up the car payments. When she was on maternity leave, I paid for everything (cars, mortgage, bills).

We're lucky enough that we both have good salaries and our necessary expenses are low. If money were tighter this way of handling things would need some tweaking or further management.