Budgeting for couples doesn’t have to be complicated. Let’s dive into why couples should budget together, common budgeting challenges, plus a step-by-step guide on how to do it successfully, without any extra drama or stress.
If you’ve been around long enough, you likely can agree that budgeting for couples can sometimes be a taboo topic. Before I bring up the ‘budget’ question with a client, I sometimes have a twinge of fear holding me back. How will they take this question? Will they be offended? Will they think I’m trying to control or judge?
At the end of the day, the question I have to ask to be at all effective in working with couples on improving their financial health and wellness is this:
Q: Do you and your spouse have a shared budget?
I have gotten many different initial responses to this question, however, it usually turns out that budgeting is a common pain point for couples. While some couples do attempt to review and maintain a budget on a monthly basis, many choose to have just one partner take over the financial responsibilities. This usually results in resentment, frustration, and misalignment between actual and planned spending.
Table of Contents
- What Impacts a Couple’s Success Budgeting?
- The Importance of Joint Finances in a Relationship
- Common Challenges in Budgeting for Couples
- Setting Financial Goals as a Couple
- Creating a Joint Budget: Step-by-Step Guide
- Effective Communication About Money in a Relationship
- Strategies for Managing Joint Expenses
- Dealing with Financial Disagreements in a Relationship
What Impacts a Couple’s Success Budgeting?
Your past with money as well as the present environment impact your budgeting efforts as a couple. Whether budgeting for couples results in success or failure is directly related to both relational satisfaction and overall financial health and wellness. So then, what actually impacts a couple’s success at budgeting?
Budgeting & Money Trauma
A stressful or even traumatic past with money will impact how you think and interact with your budget and finances. For many, money is associated with some form of past trauma. Couples often come from different financial backgrounds and therefore interact with budgeting and money in different ways. One partner may come from a family where money was fought about constantly or there just simply wasn’t enough to go around. On the other hand, other millennials and Gen-Zs may have grown up in households where money wasn’t necessarily a point of stress, but simply not talked about at all.
Both you and your partner may be bringing past stress, ideas, or even traumatic experiences related to money to your relationship. Your past with money may be impacting your current mindset and decisions about budgeting and finances. It’s important to recognize and understand your past history with money. Insight into that past helps us clarify what’s important to us as well as why we do the things we do. This knowledge can help you make better financial decisions and have more success with budgeting as a couple.
Key Point: A stressful or problematic past with money left unresolved may negatively impact a couple’s future success with budgeting.
Behavioral Finance Impact on Succes Budgeting for Couples
Regardless of your past with money, budgeting for couples can seem like a daunting and stressful task. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. Two schools of thought have come together that have given us new insight and instruction on how to manage money well as a couple. When the world of financial planning got a makeover from the fields of psychology and counseling, behavioral financial wellness was their brand new baby.
Behavioral finance and financial counseling give us a unique perspective on the wellness industry. Your financial situation plays heavily into your overall wellness, and vice versa. What does this mean in regard to successful budgeting for couples? We can use many principles from traditional health and wellness to improve financial health and wellness. Behavioral scientists have given us tools to both understand and impact the relationship between our thoughts and actions. When you understand your thoughts around money, you can replace unhealthy habits, behaviors, and thought patterns with ones that will better serve your goals as a couple.
Key Point: Success budgeting for couples is directly impacted by your individual thoughts, habits, and behaviors around money.
So, how do we use this information to improve budgeting for couples? Let’s explore the art of budgeting as a couple and provide helpful tips to master your joint finances. Combining your financial lives can feel overwhelming at first, but with the right strategies and open communication, you can create a solid foundation for your financial future.
The Importance of Joint Finances in a Relationship
Combining finances means you and your partner are working toward shared goals, both financial and personal. Joint finances help ensure transparency, prevent misunderstandings about money, and build trust between partners. As finances are a common source of conflict in relationships, discussing and managing money together strengthens your bond and helps you tackle challenges as a united front.
Related: Should Couples Combine Their Finances?
A Guide to Joint Finances & Budgeting for Couples
To truly master your finances and budgeting as a couple, you need the tools and knowledge to take control of your money and achieve your shared financial goals. By doing so, you’ll also be strengthening your relationship in the process. Whether you’re looking to save for a down payment on your dream home, plan for a family, or simply achieve financial freedom together, these tips will help you navigate the journey toward mastering joint finances.
Budgeting for Couples Step #1
Understand your partner’s personality.
Before couples start budgeting together, it’s a good idea to get insight into each other’s money personalities. Part of the benefit of understanding both your money personalities early in a marriage is to learn more about each other’s unique values, perspectives, and needs. Most couples find that they have very different habits and ideas when it comes to money. After all, opposites do often attract. When you understand your partner’s past, values, fears, etc. you’ll be able to discuss differences before they lead to problems. You’ll also have a better understanding of what’s important to you as a couple and what you want to focus on moving forward.
To learn more about money personalities, start by taking the money personality quiz >> HERE
Budgeting for Couples Step #2
Start with the big (shared) picture.
When you decided to get married, it was likely because you liked the picture of your future better with your partner as your spouse than without them. Seems pretty simple, but bringing that picture into focus and making sure both partner’s pictures show the same thing can be difficult.
A huge aspect of financial wellness for couples includes having shared goals, both financial and personal. To create shared goals, start by taking the time to articulate and share the picture you have for your future. This should be an ongoing and open conversation for the rest of your married life. Once you have discussed and aligned your pictures, Work backward to create the goals you’ll need to achieve to bring that picture to life.
Budgeting for Couples Step #3
Build a joint budget and manage your cash flow and finances together.
A highly effective form of budgeting for couples is called cash flow planning. Cash flow planning allows to couples to gain more control over their money in less time and without all the arguments and stress.
To learn more about budgeting for couples using cash flow planning, learn about Cash Flow Overhaul and/or 1-1 financial counseling services.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cash Flow Planning
- List Your Combined Income: Begin by determining the total income for your household. This includes salaries, side gigs, and any other sources of income.
- List Your Expenses: List out all your recurring monthly expenses—rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, insurance, etc. Don’t forget to include discretionary spending such as dining out, hobbies, and entertainment.
- Divide Into Categories: Categorize your expenses as survival (function *housing, utilities) and lifestyle (fun *eating out/entertainment, freedom *goals, and fulfillment *growth/generosity).
- Calculate percentages: How much of your total income is needed to fund each category? Once you’ve categorized your spending (I recommend using the 4-F Quadrant Method) you can quickly calculate percentage by determining what percentage of your total income it takes to fund each category.
- Use an Account System: Every time you get paid, send a predetermined percentage of your income to an account designated for a certain category of spending. Having a portion of your income automatically go into a designated account creates a digital ‘envelope’ system ensuring consistent contributions toward your bills, desired lifestyle, and financial goals.
- Stick to the Cash Flow Plan: Review your budget and cash flow plan regularly and make adjustments as needed. This isn’t a one-time exercise—it should evolve as your financial situation changes.
*Again, if you need assistance setting up a cash flow plan, establishing your category percentages, or simply remaining accountable, consider joining Cash Flow Overhaul!
Budgeting for Couples Bonus Tip
Give each other a personal line item (and account) for individual spending.
Research supports that for couples who want to grow together and have success handling money as a team, it’s best practice to have all income deposited into one account. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t get your own spending money and can’t buy a pack of gum without ‘asking’ for permission. Instead, decide on a percentage of your total income that will be set aside as personal spending money.
Split the predetermined amount of personal spending money in two and transfer the money to a designated account for each person’s personal spending. This money should be separate from any funds that are needed to pay functional expenses like food, gas, or utilities. In addition, it’s imperative to give each person their own account. That way there are no issues or questions as to how much money is REALLY available to be spent on personal items and wants.
Strategies for Managing Joint Expenses
How you handle joint expenses depends on what works best for you as a couple. Here are a few common approaches:
- The 50/50 Split: Each partner contributes an equal amount to shared expenses, regardless of income.
- Proportional Split: Your expenses are divided based on each partner’s income. For example, if one partner earns 60% of the household income, they would contribute 60% to shared expenses.
- The All-in Approach: All money is pooled together and both partners have access to the total amount. This approach works best when you both trust and agree on the shared budget and goals.
The ‘All-in’ Approach has been shown to be positively correlated with both relational and financial satisfaction. Couples who equally go ‘all-in’ and work together to build their future have psychology on their side. Regardless of the method, it’s important to understand the differences between each approach and determine which option aligns best with your situation and goals.
Common Challenges in Budgeting for Couples
Couples often face issues such as differing spending habits, financial priorities, or income disparities. One partner might be a saver while the other is a spender. Another common hurdle is managing debt, particularly when one partner enters a relationship with significantly more debt than the other. Lastly, communication barriers or power struggles can often emerge around money. For example, if one partner earns more than the other, this may end up leading to resentment or imbalances in decision-making.
Setting Financial Goals as a Couple
Before diving into budgeting, you need to have a clear vision of your shared financial goals. Are you saving for a house, a family vacation, or retirement? Establish short-term and long-term goals together, then prioritize them. This helps both partners stay aligned and committed to their financial journey. Consider setting specific, measurable goals and review them periodically to track your progress.
Effective Communication About Money in a Relationship
Open communication about money is key. Schedule regular “money dates” where you both sit down and talk about your budget, spending, and financial goals. Use these check-ins to ensure you’re on the same page and adjust your cash flow plan as necessary. Honest conversations about fears, frustrations, and hopes surrounding money can help build understanding and prevent future arguments.
Dealing with Financial Disagreements in a Relationship
It’s normal to have disagreements about money, but how you handle them is crucial. Here’s how to navigate financial conflict:
- Stay Calm and Listen: Don’t accuse or blame. Instead, try to understand your partner’s point of view.
- Revisit Your Shared Goals: Sometimes disagreements arise from short-term frustrations. Bringing the conversation back to your shared picture and long-term goals can remind you both of what you’re working toward.
- Compromise: You might need to find a middle ground. Keep in mind that every time you say ‘yes’ to something, you’re saying no to something else. However, sometimes a disagreement is just a matter of hesitance to update your shared picture.
Building a Strong Financial Foundation as a Couple
Managing joint finances is a journey that requires teamwork, patience, and commitment. By setting clear goals, creating a budget, and maintaining open communication, you can build a strong financial foundation for your future. With the right approach, money can become a tool for creating the life you and your partner envision, helping you grow closer and achieve your dreams together.
From setting financial goals and creating a joint budget to dividing expenses and managing debt, we’ve covered everything you need to know to ensure harmony and financial stability in your relationship. Now that you’ve uncovered common challenges that couples face when managing money together and gotten expert tips and advice to overcome them, it’s time for you to jump into budgeting for couples and improved financial wellness.
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