To Merge or not to Merge

Yesterday PaidTwice posted an article from the newly formed Women's Personal Finance Network about merging finances with you mate.

My husband and I have been married for 24 years and we have always maintained separate finances. One of the reasons is that my mom always told me to keep the money separate. She had a tough time of it. She grew up poor, but happy and clean (that's how she always phrased it). When she and my dad married I think she totally depended on him for everything: money, emotional support...everything. Their finances, which only consisted of a checking and savings account were handled by my dad. If she needed money for anything, she had to ask him. He would never just say, "Go ahead and take it." He usually had to grill her on what she needed the money for. As I got older I could see that she resented having to do that. And if she didn't have to ask him she wouldn't.

I remember when I was about 11 years old. I received a birthday card from my grandmother (my mom's mom) with $1 in it. I was so excited. I was thinking of all the things that I could spend that dollar on (back in the day). Anyway, my mom told me I couldn't keep the dollar that I had to give it to her so that she could but a pound of hamburger so that we could have dinner the next night.
I have so many example like this. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that up until now that focusing on my finances has been a challenge.