Marriage is about compromise – it’s essential to work together with your significant other. However, it can be challenging to work together when it comes to finances. What can you do?

1. Develop a shared set of priorities and joint goals.
2. Come up with a combined household budget.
3. Be transparent and have honest conversations. Do not hold judgment on the other person’s spending.
4. Create a spending plan.
5. Avoid fights.
6. Schedule regular budget conversations every four weeks.

Then, Gabriel joins the show. For the most part, Gabriel and his partner have kept separate accounts and credit cards. However, they do share one credit card and one joint account. The joint account is the emergency fund that they do not touch. Gabriel manages their accounts by sharing all their expenses in a proportion of their income. For example, Gabriel makes twice as much as his wife. In January, they have $1,000 in joint costs. Gabriel pays 2/3, and his wife pays 1/3. Gabriel does not have visibility with his partner’s expenses. The collective costs are controlled well. However, after having children, they each get less for personal expenses and have fewer funds for individual savings.

In addition to monthly expenses, Gabriel keeps track of their assets. Periodically, Gabriel and his partner update their asset tab on an Excel form to make sure they are meeting their financial goals. For instance, if they have a goal for a down payment – Gabriel has $70,000, and his wife has $30,000. Gabriel would take 70%, and his wife would take 30%. They contribute an equal amount based on what they can afford.

Then, Gabriel gives financial tips:

• Set personal financial goals and review them consistently with your partner.
• Maximize your credit card points. Gabriel has the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Stay tuned for tech tools, an improvement idea, and the answer to a listener question.

Enjoy the show!

[02:45] How do you combine your finances after marriage?

[05:20] About Gabriel

[08:00] Gabriel’s account structures

[14:30] How to handle joint savings

[18:30] About brokerage accounts

[21:50] Joint expenses with children

[28:45] Financial tips from Gabriel

[34:20] Tech tools to track accounts

[36:15] Improvement idea: download your bank’s mobile app

[36:40] Listener question: can you get a tax deduction when moving for a job?

[37:50] Trivia time!

Resources:

Website: https://moneybagel.com

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/preferred