Building a Joint Financial Plan: Budget, Goals, and Money Conversations

A working couple's financial plan is built from real numbers, real goals, and real conversations. This hands-on course walks you through assembling all three with templates designed to be used together. By the end of this course you will have a shared inventory of income, expenses, debts, and assets, a written goals list with timelines and dollar amounts, a budget that accommodates both partners, a debt-and-savings plan, and a monthly money meeting routine. What you will learn: - How to compile a joint inventory of income, expenses, debts, and assets accurately - How to set shared goals across short, medium, and long horizons - How to choose an account structure that supports both partners and your goals - How to build a budget that handles fixed expenses, variable expenses, and personal spending - How to plan debt payoff and saving simultaneously without one starving the other - How to structure a monthly money meeting that is short, productive, and not dreaded - How to handle bumps such as overspending, surprise expenses, and income changes The course is structured as a workbook. Each module provides templates, walks through a filled example, and guides you and your partner to complete your own version. This course is written for couples who want to act rather than only discuss. By the end you will have replaced disconnected accounts and vague goals with a shared plan that both partners helped build, and the monthly money meeting will be a tool that prevents conflicts rather than triggers them.