Budgeting software

YNAB

Have you used this? Looks interesting.

Considering trying it.

Monarch works really well for budgeting and is super easy and user friendly.

Obviously I don't know where you are in your marriage, but I'll just share what I think I've learned with budgeting and women.

I don't want to be a jackass here, but if she doesn't understand in basic terms that income needs to be greater than outflow, no demonstration will help her understand. She doesn't comprehend it because she doesn't want to understand it and possibly some entitlement emotions to cash.

My suggestion is to open a separate checking account for you and another for the wife. Both take an equal allowance into your own checking account, and once the money is gone, it is gone. Once she runs out of money a couple of times, she'll learn what is necessary to purchase vs. where she needs to cut back some.

I'll also suggest that money is the number one obstacle in a marriage generally. I would encourage you to be as fair as you can with money. When the wife and I were first married, I made about twice as much as she did, but I never made any effort to take twice as much allowance or even bring up the income disparity. 12 years into our marriage, she started out-earning me and my income has more than tripled since we first got married. And she's never once called out the income disparity. So if you want her to be fair at all times, you should lead the way.

We use the Everydollar App from Ramsey. Wife can pull it up on her phone and see what's left in each category. It's free and simple but works for us.

Beginning of each month I ask her if she knows of any extras for the month (a sister or friends B-day etc) and then make small changes to budget.

I use Quicken Simplifi.

Moved to it after using Mint for years

Monarch is amazing

I was in the opposite boat. I handle all the finances. My husband and I make just about the same salary. We started using the every dollar app about a year ago and it has made all the difference. Once we established how much we could spend in each category and agreed on it, it has worked really well and allowed us to pay down debt. Each month we discuss any out of the ordinary expenses coming up and I build that into the budget. For me there is much less "guilt" if its in the budget. Agree on a line item with her for the things she's spending money on. Even if it's just a "Wife Fun Money" line item. If you reconcile the purchases with the app daily, then she can log in and see how much more she has to spend. That's all probably clear as mud, lol, but it's helped us.

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Everydollar App from Ramsey


Apps rely on banks posting transactions (pending vs. cleared, a gas station pending transaction may only be an authorization for $50, but she only puts $35 into it, etc.) One friend's wife runs an average of 20 separate card transactions a day "running errands." Apps also rely on you to grab the receipt, and separate what was groceries at Target vs. what was typical Target schlock.

OP needs to start with cash.

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I don't fool with the paid version that automatically inputs transactions from banks. I think big boys and girls can input their own transactions.

I agree on cash

I use YNAB