Affairs are expensive, if you do them right. There's no getting around it. So how is everyone here dealing with the financial paper trail? It was easy for me in the beginning: I am self-employed, so I have an account that I use to "pay taxes out of" for funneling money. It's accessible, but never really looked at closely. I keep as many transactions out of the household spending account as possible. I had a pre-paid debit card, the kind you get from Walmart, Target, etc. and most transactions were handled that way.

While my "tax" account isn't looked at, that doesn't mean it won't be or that it may be viewed accidentally and so I'd like an extra layer of insulation there. I've been doing too many direct debits out of that account and it would be tough explaining those. Do I open an account somewhere else altogether?