Things should be fine once the royalties from "PopoZao" start rolling in...

According to recent news reports, Britney Spears has had it with the spend-happy ways of her hubby, Kevin Federline (nicknamed "Daddy Spenderline") and insiders say she has put Federline on a strict budget.

Insiders said Spears has put Federline...on a budget. "Each month, he will be allotted a certain amount of money for personal use - i.e., clothing, nightclubs, booze and day-to-day activities. Any big items - cars, or trips that go over allowance - need to be approved by Brit herself," said one source.

Of course, this isn't surprising, considering money problems are a big cause of stress in most marriages. 

Back when I was a young ingenue, I remember being somewhat shocked at overhearing a friend's answers when asked "at one point did he really feel like he was married?"  Being the sentimental romantic that I am, I expected to hear him say "when we were up at the altar" or "when we were on our honeymoon."  Never did I expect to hear the response, "when we got a joint checking account."

Here at Casa Metro, we intermingle all finances.  However, I'll be honest with you.  It took me and BossLady quite awhile to learn how to manage money together.  Even now, we haven't gotten it totally figured out.  On the one hand, we want to share everything equally.  On the other hand, it's nice to have a little bit of financial independence. 

The problem is further augmented by having a child.  There's less wiggle room.  Disposable income is no longer as disposable anymore.  We have to worry about paying for daycare, saving for college, and planning for retirement.  It only adds to the stress of managing our finances. 

The one thing that BossLady and I did agree on is that we would never fight about money.  We might have arguments or disagreements but we never fight about it.  This is easier said than done and it actually took us a few years to learn how to master this part of being a couple.

But I'm still curious about how other married couples with kids manage their finances.  I've polled many of our friends and I've heard a wide diaspora of different answers.  What about you, my friends?  Do you and your spouse have separate accounts?  Are you each responsible for paying different household expenses?  Do you contribute to retirement accounts equally?  If you mingle all monies, how do you buy one another birthday presents?  Any tips, tricks, hints or suggestions? 

An inquiring mind wants to know.