Backlash wrote:

Key item early on was to keep my money, her money, and joint living
expense money as separate entities.

We did that and it has worked out great. We already had our
own separate checking and credit card accounts prior to marriage.
We opened a joint checking account and got a joint credit card
account (two cards). We each make equal contributions to the
joint account each month and all "joint" expenses are paid from it.

You may wish to adjust the "equal contribution" factor for
your own particular circumstances, but since our incomes are
roughly equal, this works for us.

It has been 15 years now and we both highly recommend it.
If my wife wants to splurge on some special fabric, yarn, or
the pens she collects, it is none of my business. Likewise,
she doesn't quiz me about the boxes from MSC, Powell's, etc.

Alan