Delhi Founder Baffled By Married Couple Splitting Bills Equally Like "Flatmates", Viral Post Sparks Debate

A founder based in Delhi NCR has sparked a discussion online on marital financial planning after expressing his confusion about a couple that splits all bills and expenses equally between themselves. Ayushmaan Kapoor, founder of relationship-focused venture The Date Crew, took to LinkedIn to share a reflection on modern-day marriages. In his post, he criticised an unnamed couple for splitting their household expenses down to the last rupee despite earning a combined annual income of over Rs 60 lakh. 

"A couple living in Gurgaon. Work at great companies. Make Rs 30L+ each. But still maintaining a Splitwise or Google Sheet to divide every single expense: rent, groceries, fuel, Swiggy, electricity...All logged. All split. Each person 'pays their share' - like flatmates," Mr Kapoor wrote, adding that he was baffled by this arrangement. 

The founder then went on to explain how a marriage must have financial planning and common goals to succeed. "When you marry someone, you're essentially co-founding a company. And that company... is your life together. So imagine the chaos if both co-founders have different goals, different expenses and different priorities. Will that company EVER succeed?" he questioned. 

Mr Kapoor then laid out four critical elements he believes are necessary for a successful marriage. The first, a shared vision and goals for the year, which could include anything from taking a big holiday to hitting a key investment milestone. 

Secondly, the entrepreneur called for "clarity on roles". By this, he meant determining who manages finances, household chores, childcare or emotional labour. 

Third, Mr Kapoor spoke about "pooled capital and joint financial plan," that is merging resources to fund mutual goals. Lastly, he said that there should be "Regular reviews to track progress and stay aligned".

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Mr Kapoor argued that when couples begin to see their life as a joint entity, their money habits must change. "You plan together. You invest together. You understand each other's dreams - and figure out how to fund them, together," he wrote. 

"Marriage isn't just emotional support. It's financial alignment too. You're not just sharing a home. You're building a life. And in this era, you can't build a life without money. If you haven't had that conversation yet - do it this weekend. Plan it like a company strategy. Because this is the most important company you'll ever build," he added. 

The post has gone viral, sparking a discussion about marital financial planning. While some agreed with his opinion, others criticised him, saying that how a couple splits their bills is nobody else's business.

"Agreed but don't you think having a system like splitwise or sheets in place only adds more clarity and transparency? Let's be honest, it gets tough to have money discussions in general. Wouldn't this olve the problem entirely?" wrote one user. 

"If it works for their marriage, what's the issue here? Honestly, posting about everyday scenarios (much of which are fictional) as long LinkedIn posts about "wisdom" is truly cringe inducing. Let's just stop please," commented another. 

"Splitting expenses in marriage is reasonable, as long as there's a clear joint plan around savings and investment goals," wrote a third user. 

However, some agreed with the entrepreneur. "Ridiculous !  Splitwise -> Split wisely to split permanently. That's where it'll lead to," one user commented. 

"Always baffles me when I hear married couples talking about rent sharing, expenses split, borrowing money from each other.... I understand the major money matters being accounted clearly in case of unfortunate separation....but a few thousands or few lacs do not matter if both are having a decent pay...clear lack of trust and unnecessary individualism!" said another.