First off, gotta say that I love this forum. It's such a breath of fresh air to meet other people who save money for reasons other than just accumulating more junk they don't need.
Anyway, I (28) live with my gf (32) who is 100% on board with rocking a mustachian life together. We both live very simple, low cost lives (and are diligent about keeping it that way.) We will never have kids, and a wedding is both expensive and unnecessary.
So far, all our finances are separate. If we make a shared purchase like furniture, we just use Venmo to split it 50/50. (Each month, she pays me rent and then I pay the mortgage.) Logistically, we have zero problems with this system. But if there's a significant financial incentive for us to marry, we'll gladly sign some papers.
My annual numbers:
Income: $42,000 gross (teacher in NC), $5000ish from side gigs
Approximate annual expenses:
Mortgage interest: $4,600
Property Tax: $2,000
Mortgage principal: $9,000
Everything else: $16,000
Assets:
Home: $175,000
Investments: $25,000
Debts:
Mortgage: $140,000 14 years 3.25%
Her annual numbers:
Income: $42,000 gross
Expenses:
Rent: $7,000 paid to me
Everything else: $14,000
Assets: $20,000 in 401(k)
Debts: $10,000 student loans and credit cards.
__________________________________________________________
This year, I itemized deductions and she took the standard deduction. If we filed jointly, would it make any difference in our numbers?
Thanks in advance for any insight!