Comments on: Using a Monthly Report to Discuss Money With Your Spouse

By: Monthly Budget Tools: Top Software, Spreadsheets, and More | Money Under 30

Monthly Budget Tools: Top Software, Spreadsheets, and More | Money Under 30 — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:29:32 +0000

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By: Best Free Budget Templates, Spreadsheets, & Budgeting Software | Budgets Are Sexy

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:57:23 +0000

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By: 55 Ways to Simplify Your Finances

55 Ways to Simplify Your Finances — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:10:11 +0000

[...] Check in with everyone else in your family using monthly reports. [...]

By: Weekly Round-Up: Tying the Knot

Weekly Round-Up: Tying the Knot — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:06:43 +0000

[...] Using a Monthly Report to Discuss Money With Your Spouse [...]

By: Carnival of Personal Finance 198 | Paying For Retirement

Carnival of Personal Finance 198 | Paying For Retirement — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:04:16 +0000

[...] Fiscal Fizzle offers up some great ways to make that dreaded spouse/money conversation a little easier. [...]

By: David Nofsinger

David Nofsinger — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:21:51 +0000

What a great, practical article!

My wife and I already do something very similar, with monthly meetings. I’ve learned a couple of things in the process:

1. If your spouse is not a money person (as my wife is), get to the point, have the monthly meeting last a few minutes with a well presented report, then go about your life.

2. This absolutely keeps us on the same page regarding finances. (and having different opinions on where a few hundred dollars go each month can be a big sore spot, and quite a surprise)

It has helped us greatly as far as our finances, because just balancing a checkbook is really not “budgeting”. We have clear goals now, and we are pursuing them.

By: Jason @ MyMoneyMinute

Jason @ MyMoneyMinute — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:18:31 +0000

Looking forward to viewing your template. This would be a help to my wife & I.

By: the weakonomist

the weakonomist — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:31:38 +0000

My fiance is practically surprised I don’t do this already. I think after we’re married I’ll implement something. She loves to browse the web so maybe I’ll post it online (securely) and she can just scan it in between Facebook sessions and commercials of “Little People Big World”.

By: Wojciech Kulicki

Wojciech Kulicki — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:53:02 +0000

@Kate – I’ve gone through a couple of iterations, but I now use the same template for each report. As part of this blog site, I will be featuring a page that will have downloadable templates of tools I use. Check back next week – it should be up! Thanks for your comment.

By: Kate Kashman

Kate Kashman — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:47:12 +0000

This is a great idea. I am responsible for most of the day-to-day financial decisions in our family and I sometimes feel like my husband has no idea what is going on. I’m thinking a monthly report is a great idea!

Do you have a set form, or is it more casual? I’m a forms kind of girl, myself.

Thank you so much for sharing this!