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Budgeting for couples
Two incomes, one rent, and very different ideas about takeaway. Work out a fair split, then share one budget you both can see.
| Partner A | Partner B | |
|---|---|---|
| Pays into shared | $1,900 | $1,300 |
| Share of own pay | 50% | 50% |
| Left for personal spending & saving | $1,900 | $1,300 |
Each partner gives up the same percentage of their pay.
Share one budget by link
Fill in the household budget in the budget calculator — combined take-home pay, shared bills, joint savings — and press Share by link. The budget travels inside the link itself, so your partner can open it in any browser, tweak it and send it back. No accounts, no app to install, nothing stored on our side.
A 20-minute monthly money date
- Look back: open the expense tracker and compare the jars with last month's plan.
- Celebrate one win — a paid-off card, a full emergency-fund month.
- Agree one change for next month. Just one.
- Save the month so you can see the trend in budget history.
Yours, mine and ours
The hybrid set-up works for most couples: a joint account for shared bills and goals, and personal money each of you spends without discussion. Agree a threshold — say $150 — above which purchases get a quick heads-up. It cuts arguments about small things and keeps big ones visible.
Questions people ask
How should couples split bills?
The two common ways are 50/50 and proportional to income. Proportional means each partner pays the same percentage of their pay, so a partner earning 60% of the household income covers 60% of shared bills. It usually feels fairer when incomes differ a lot.
Should couples have a joint account?
Many use a hybrid: a joint account for shared bills and goals, funded by agreed transfers, plus personal accounts each partner spends freely. It keeps shared costs visible without asking permission for every coffee.
How can we share a budget without an app account?
Build the budget in the EasyBudget calculator and press “Share by link”. The whole budget is packed into the link, so your partner opens the same numbers on their phone — no signup, nothing stored on a server.
How often should we talk about money?
A short monthly check-in works for most couples: compare the plan with what was actually spent, agree on changes, and save the month to history so you can see progress.