How do couples handle finances with a big salary gap, especially when thinking about mortgages?

Un couple avec un écart de salaire important cherche des conseils pour gérer leurs finances ensemble, notamment pour l'achat d'une maison. Le partenaire avec le salaire plus élevé souhaite être équitable et protéger ses contributions financières.

Hey all, just looking for some advice or experiences from others in similar situations. Me and my girlfriend are both in our 20s. She’s just finished uni and is earning around £24k, while I’ve been working since I was 18 and have worked my way up to around £50k. We’re looking at living together soon, and I’m starting to think more seriously about how to handle money together, especially with a big income difference. Realistically, I’ll be able to save a lot more each month — probably around £1,250 while she might manage about £100. That’s going to impact things like our house deposit (when we eventually buy), but I know we can sort that part out with a Deed of Trust so things are fair in case anything ever goes wrong. My main question is more about the day-to-day stuff once we’re living together. For example, some months I might be able to overpay on the mortgage (which I think is financially smart) or cover the cost of bigger stuff like furniture or appliances. How do people make sure contributions like that are protected? Like, if I’m paying extra £750 towards mortgage a month - how do you stop it from feeling like you’re just giving money away? To be clear — I absolutely love this girl. I don’t expect her to match me financially, and I’m very happy to treat her and cover more day-to-day. She’s amazing and I’m very proud of her hard work, she’s just younger than me and has a different career path. I just want to be smart and fair, especially because I’ve worked really hard to get where I am. I’ve seen family go through messy financial stuff, so I’m just a bit cautious. At the moment we’re looking to rent first and then buy, but even renting, there will be a couple purchases where I can already afford them but she might not be able to Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you handle it? EDIT: wow this post got huge. I’m sorry I can’t reply to all but I’m incredibly appreciative of everyone’s comments! It is allll vvvv helpful and I have shared