Resume my budget

Enter your budget code. With or without dashes, upper or lower case: it doesn’t matter.

Your code

It has 20 letters and digits, for example K7QM-2XPA-9FDE-H3WT-B6NR.

Who is this budget for?

Just meI manage my money on my own.

The two of usWe’re a couple and we share expenses (or we’re about to).

Let’s build your budget. I’ll guide you.Let’s build your budget. I’ll guide you both.

In about 15 minutes, we’ll:

go over what comes in and what goes out;
set money aside for surprises and your plans;
put your budget on autopilot, so you don’t have to track every expense.

go over what comes in and what goes out;
find a fair way to split your expenses;
put your budget on autopilot, so you don’t have to track every expense.

No account to create, no email, no name. Your answers stay anonymous.No account to create, no email, no name. Your answers stay anonymous.

Everything is saved automatically and encrypted, so you can pick up later, on any device, with your code.Everything is saved automatically and encrypted on this device, so you can pick up later.

Tip · Keep your banking app or a pay stub handy. Don’t have every number? An estimate is fine, you can fix it later.It works even better side by side. Keep your banking app or a pay stub handy. Don’t worry if you don’t have every number: an estimate is fine, you can fix it later.

Let’s talk about youLet’s talk about you two

What should we call you?

A nickname or an initial is enough. It just makes the budget easier to read.

Person 1

Person 2

Where are you at?Where are you at?

We’re about to move in together

We just moved in together

We’ve lived together for a while, but we want to get organized

I’m moving into my first apartment

I just moved

I’m going through a change (new job, separation, back to school, retirement…)

Nothing special, I just want to get organized

Do you have dependent children (full time or shared custody)?Do you have dependent children (full time or shared custody)?

Yes

No

A baby is on the way!

Your income

Your incomeLet’s start with Person 1

Let’s start with what comes in. We’re talking about take-home pay: the amount that actually lands in your account, after taxes and deductions.

How often are you paid?

Every two weeks

Every week

Twice a monthFor example, on the 15th and the last day of the month.

Once a month

It variesSelf-employed, tips, contracts, seasonal work.

How much do you get per paycheque, most of the year?

per paycheque

The net amount: on your pay stub or in your banking app. An estimate is fine.

Your income

Now, Person 2

Same questions, this time for Person 2.

How often are you paid?

Every two weeks

Every week

Twice a monthFor example, on the 15th and the last day of the month.

Once a month

It variesSelf-employed, tips, contracts, seasonal work.

How much do you get per paycheque, most of the year?

per paycheque

The net amount: on your pay stub or in your banking app. An estimate is fine.

Housing

We’ll start with your fixed, essential expenses: the ones that come back no matter what. Then we’ll look at what’s left for daily life.

You are:You are:

A tenantTenants

An ownerOwners

Living with roommatesLiving with roommates

Other (with family, etc.)Other (with family, etc.)

Your billsShared bills

Now, your bills. Tick what applies, then enter the amount. Not sure? Have a look at your latest statement.

Now, the bills you share. Tick what applies, then enter the amount. Not sure? Have a look at your latest statement.

Which bills apply?Internet
Amount
Frequency
Cell phone plans
Amount
Frequency
Only if they’re shared; otherwise they go under personal spending.
Subscriptions (TV, music, video)Shared subscriptions (TV, music, video)
Amount
Frequency
Pets (food, insurance)
Amount
Frequency
Gym or activitiesShared gym or activities
Amount
Frequency
Other
What is it?
Amount
Frequency

Transportation

How do you get around?How do you get around?

You can pick several.

A car (or more)

Public transit

Bike, walking, BIXI, etc.

Car sharing (Communauto, etc.)

Children

Kids bring a lot of love… and lots of small expenses that show up when you least expect them. We’ll plan for them so they don’t throw your budget off.

We only ask for an age bracket, to suggest the usual expenses at that age. It’s optional.

For each child: a nickname or initial, and an age bracket (optional)

Regular expenses

Daycare / child care
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
CPE and subsidized daycares: daily rate × days. Private daycare: remember child care expenses on your tax return.
CPE and subsidized daycares: daily rate × days. Private daycare: remember child care expenses on your tax return.
School daycare, lunches, caterer
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
School transportation
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Private school / tuition
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Diapers, formula, baby products
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Pocket money
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Child’s cell phone
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Child support paid
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?

Irregular expenses

They come once or twice a year: we set a little aside each month.

School supplies and fees (around August)
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Day camp / summer camp (often paid in spring)
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Activities and sports (registration, equipment)
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Clothes and boots (they grow fast!)
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Birthdays (parties, gifts for friends)
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
Dentist, glasses, orthodontics not covered
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?
School outings and photos
Amount
Frequency
Whose expense is this?

Savings for the children

RESP (registered education savings plan)

Debts

Let’s talk about it without embarrassment: most people have debts. What matters is including them so the budget holds up.

Which debts do you have?Person 1’s debts

Credit card(s)
Do you pay the full balance every month?Yes, alwaysPerfect. The card is a payment tool, not a debt.
Not alwaysWe’ll plan a fixed amount to pay it down. Setting a payment higher than the minimum makes a big difference in interest.
Balance
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Student loan
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Line of credit
Balance
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Personal or car loan
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
If the car payment is already entered on the Transportation screen, don’t repeat it here.
Other debt
What is it?
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.

Person 2’s debts

Credit card(s)
Do you pay the full balance every month?Yes, alwaysPerfect. The card is a payment tool, not a debt.
Not alwaysWe’ll plan a fixed amount to pay it down. Setting a payment higher than the minimum makes a big difference in interest.
Balance
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Student loan
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Line of credit
Balance
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Personal or car loan
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
If the car payment is already entered on the Transportation screen, don’t repeat it here.
Other debt
What is it?
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.

Shared debts

Credit card(s)
Do you pay the full balance every month?Yes, alwaysPerfect. The card is a payment tool, not a debt.
Not alwaysWe’ll plan a fixed amount to pay it down. Setting a payment higher than the minimum makes a big difference in interest.
Balance
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Student loan
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Line of credit
Balance
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
Personal or car loan
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.
If the car payment is already entered on the Transportation screen, don’t repeat it here.
Other debt
What is it?
Planned payment
Frequency
Required minimum payment
Not sure? It’s on the statement.

No debts

Expenses that come once a year

Here’s the secret of budgets that hold up: plan ahead for the expenses that come once or twice a year. You set a little aside each month, and when the bill arrives, the money is already there.

The essentials are planned. Let’s see what’s left.

Net income: — per month
Fixed essentials (housing, bills, transportation, children, debts, yearly expenses): —

You have — left per month.

Where this stands

Essentials

Everyday life

These are the expenses that change from one week to the next. We don’t need dollar-exact numbers here: a realistic amount per week or per month is enough.

GroceriesAmount
Frequency
Restaurants, cafés, deliveryAmount
Frequency
Outings and leisureOutings and leisure togetherAmount
Frequency
Household items (cleaning products, pharmacy)Amount
Frequency
Other daily expenseWhat is it?
Amount
Frequency

I have no idea

Open your banking app and look at the last two months. Most banks already sort your spending by category. Take the groceries total and divide by 2: that’s your month.

Open your banking app and look at the last two months. Most banks already sort your spending by category. Take the groceries total and divide by 2: that’s your month. If you don’t live together yet, add your two current amounts: it’s a good starting point.

Just for you

Your own money: phone, subscriptions, clothes, leisure. No need to go into detail.

Cell phoneCell phone (if not shared)Amount
Frequency
If your plan is already on the bills screen, don’t repeat it here.
A shared plan belongs with the shared bills, not here.
Personal subscriptionsAmount
Frequency
Clothing, personal careAmount
Frequency
Personal leisure, outings with friendsAmount
Frequency
Other personal expenseWhat is it?
Amount
Frequency

Personal spending

Personal spending: Person 1

Everyone also has their own expenses. No need to list everything: what matters is that each of you keeps some money of your own, without having to explain it.

Cell phoneCell phone (if not shared)Amount
Frequency
If your plan is already on the bills screen, don’t repeat it here.
A shared plan belongs with the shared bills, not here.
Personal subscriptionsAmount
Frequency
Clothing, personal careAmount
Frequency
Personal leisure, outings with friendsAmount
Frequency
Other personal expenseWhat is it?
Amount
Frequency

Keeping a little money of your own, without having to justify it, often helps avoid tension.

Personal spending

Personal spending: Person 2

The same questions, this time for Person 2.

Cell phoneCell phone (if not shared)Amount
Frequency
If your plan is already on the bills screen, don’t repeat it here.
A shared plan belongs with the shared bills, not here.
Personal subscriptionsAmount
Frequency
Clothing, personal careAmount
Frequency
Personal leisure, outings with friendsAmount
Frequency
Other personal expenseWhat is it?
Amount
Frequency

You have — left per month for your goals.

Where this stands

Essentials
Wants
Savings and debts— left to allocate.

Your goalsYour goals

Now, what you want to build with what’s left: a cushion for surprises, then your projects.

Left to allocate: — per month.

Do you have an emergency fund? It’s money set aside for the unexpected: job loss, repairs, and so on.Do you have an emergency fund? It’s money set aside for the unexpected: job loss, repairs, and so on.

Yes, about

A little

Not yet

How to split?

There’s no single right way to split. Here are three common ones, calculated with your real numbers. Pick the one that feels fairest to you.

Shared expenses: — per month

50/50

You each put in the same amount. Simple and easy to follow.

50/50: amounts for each of you
	Partner 1	Partner 2
Per month	—	—
Per paycheque	—	—
Left before personal spending	—	—
Left after personal spending	—	—

Choose “50/50”

Proportional to income

You each pay your share of what you earn together.

Proportional to income: amounts for each of you
	Partner 1	Partner 2
Per month	—	—
Per paycheque	—	—
Left before personal spending	—	—
Left after personal spending	—	—

Choose “Proportional to income”

Same spending money for each

The split is set so you each have the same amount left after the shared costs and personal bills, before everyday personal spending and personal goals.

Same spending money for each: amounts for each of you
	Partner 1	Partner 2
Per month	—	—
Per paycheque	—	—
Left before personal spending	—	—
Left after personal spending	—	—

Choose “Same spending money for each”

Custom

Slide to set your own split and see what it means in dollars.

Person 1’s share of the shared expenses

Custom: amounts for each of you
	Partner 1	Partner 2
Per month	—	—
Per paycheque	—	—
Left before personal spending	—	—
Left after personal spending	—	—

Choose “Custom”

Good to know: common-law couples in Quebec

In Quebec, common-law partners don’t always have the same financial protections as married couples. If you buy major assets together, or if one of you contributes clearly more than the other, it’s worth learning more. Éducaloi explains it well: Éducaloi. This is not legal advice.

How the money will flow

Last step. Instead of noting every expense, we’ll organize your accounts so the budget follows itself. A few questions about what you already have.

Do you already have a joint account?

Yes

No, but we’re ready to open one

We’d rather not have one

For groceries and everyday spending, you mostly pay with:For groceries and everyday spending, you mostly pay with:

There’s no wrong answer here: we just want the simplest way for you to follow the budget.

A debit card

A credit card, paid in full every month

A credit card, but a balance often carries over from month to month

A bit of everything, it depends

Would you be willing to open one or two more accounts?Would you be willing to open one or two more accounts?

Many banks and online institutions offer no-fee accounts.

Yes

Maybe

No, I want as few accounts as possibleNo, we want as few accounts as possible

We use this to prepare your autopilot plan.

Your budget is ready.

Here’s the essentials at a glance.

Coussinet

Your autopilot planYour autopilot plan

Here’s how to put your budget on autopilot: one number to watch, transfers to set up once, and you’re off.

Include my code

Without the code, this page can’t open your budget online. It still shows your amounts, so store it like a bank statement.

Careful: anyone who has this page can open your budget. Keep it somewhere safe. A PDF saved to a cloud (iCloud, Google Drive…) is copied there too.

Your weekly amountYour weekly amount

Your transfers to set upYour transfers to set up

Set them up once in your banking app. After that, your budget runs by itself.

Set them up once in your banking apps. After that, your budget runs by itself.

To do this weekend

One box at a time, no rush. It all happens in your banking app.

One box at a time, no rush. It all happens in your banking apps.

Your ticked boxes are saved with your budget.

Your ticked boxes are saved with your budget, so you both see the same ones on your devices once it has saved.

Your sinking fundsYour sinking funds

Expenses that don’t come every month. You set a little aside each month: the money is there when the bill arrives.

Your emergency fund and goalsYour emergency fund and goals

Your bonus money for the yearYour bonus money for the year

Bonus money is money that comes in on top of your everyday budget: an extra paycheque, a raise, a bonus, a tax refund. Here’s what’s coming over the next 12 months. Once your expenses and goals are covered by your transfers, this money is extra. We suggest where to put it: you decide.

Your calendar remindersYour calendar reminders

A file to open in your phone’s or computer’s calendar. No email: everything happens on your device.

The file stays on your device. But if you import it into a calendar app (Google, iCloud…), its content (first names, amounts) is sent to that app.

Your budget, line by lineYour budget, line by line

Every expense, grouped by the account that pays it.

See the detail

Pointers to help you decide together. This isn’t financial, tax or legal advice.

Your net income
Combined income: — per month
Shared expenses: — per month; Child benefits already pay — per month of that.
Shared goals: — per month

After your bills and savings, you have — per month left to live on.

The 50/30/20 guideline

Essentials
Wants
Savings and debts

Your budget codeYour budget code

Your budget is already saved. With your code (the “My code” button, at the top), you can open your budget on all your devices and come back whenever you like.

Your budget is already saved. Show your code to your partner, come back whenever you like, and unlock the plan when you’re ready.

The autopilot plan

Early access

The full plan puts your budget on autopilot, so you never have to note every expense. It includes:

The detailed plan, category by category
Automatic transfers to set up, with the amount and date for every paycheque
The weekly amount: the only number to watch
The “To do this weekend” checklist to set everything up
Your yearly bonus money, planned (3rd paycheques, year-end raise, bonuses)
Calendar reminders: monthly check-in and pay changesCalendar reminders: monthly check-in and pay changes

Your budget is saved. The full plan will be a paid feature. For now, it’s in early access: it opens with an access code.

Example: how the money flows

Example

Where the money comes from

Your account$3,200

Your pay$3,200

From your account to your accounts

From: Your account$3,200

Bills$1,480
Day-to-day spending$520
Savings$400
Personal$800

What each account pays for

Bills$1,480

Rent$1,100
Electricity$90
Internet$80
Mobile phone$60
Insurance$150

Day-to-day spending$520

Groceries$380
Restaurants$80
Outings$60

Savings$400

Emergency fund$250
Vacation$150

Turn your phone sideways to see the full chart

Example with made-up numbers. This isn’t your budget.

See where every dollar of your pay goes

The full plan draws this diagram with your real numbers, from your income to your accounts.

Where the money comes from

Camille’s account$3,700

Camille’s pay$3,000
Child benefits (Camille)$700

Sam’s account$3,250

Sam’s pay$3,250

From your accounts to the household accounts

From: Camille’s account$3,700

Bills$1,158
Day-to-day spending$696
Savings$460
Camille’s personal money$1,386

From: Sam’s account$3,250

Bills$822
Day-to-day spending$755
Savings$497
Sam’s personal money$1,176

What each account pays for

Bills$1,980

Rent$1,500
Internet$80
Daycare$400

Day-to-day spending$1,451

Groceries$1,088
Restaurants$173
Outings$130
Home$60

Savings$957

Emergency fund$269
Down payment$688

Turn your phone sideways to see the full chart

Example with made-up numbers. This isn’t your budget.

See where every dollar of your pay goes

The full plan draws this diagram with your real numbers, from your income to your accounts.

I have an access code

Got an access code? Enter it here: it unlocks the plan for this budget.

Access code

Capital letters, dashes and spaces don’t matter. O counts as 0, and I and L count as 1.

Keep your codeKeep your code

Welcome back!

We can’t read the budget saved here

We can’t find the budget saved here

This budget was saved by a newer version

Resume my budget

Who is this budget for?

Switch to a budget for one person?

Let’s build your budget. I’ll guide you.Let’s build your budget. I’ll guide you both.

Let’s talk about youLet’s talk about you two

Your incomeLet’s start with Person 1

Now, Person 2

Housing

Your billsShared bills

Transportation

Public transit

Car sharing

Car __n__

Children

Child __n__

Debts

Expenses that come once a year

Already planned earlier

The essentials are planned. Let’s see what’s left.

Where this stands

Everyday life

Just for you

Personal spending: Person 1

Personal spending: Person 2

You have — left per month for your goals.

You have — left per month for your goals.

Everyday life is planned. Let’s see where things stand.

Where this stands

Your goalsYour goals

How to split?

50/50

Proportional to income

Same spending money for each

Custom

How the money will flow

Your budget is ready.

Your budget is ready.

Your autopilot planYour autopilot plan

Your weekly amountYour weekly amount

Your transfers to set upYour transfers to set up

Where your money travelsWhere your money travels

To do this weekend

Your sinking fundsYour sinking funds

Your emergency fund and goalsYour emergency fund and goals

Your bonus money for the yearYour bonus money for the year

Your calendar remindersYour calendar reminders

Your budget, line by lineYour budget, line by line

The 50/30/20 guideline

Your budget codeYour budget code

That’s more common than you think, and we can sort it out.That’s more common than you think, and we can sort it out.

The autopilot plan

Example: how the money flows

Where the money comes from

Your account$3,200

From your account to your accounts

From: Your account$3,200

What each account pays for

Bills$1,480

Day-to-day spending$520

Savings$400

Where the money comes from

Camille’s account$3,700

Sam’s account$3,250

From your accounts to the household accounts

From: Camille’s account$3,700

From: Sam’s account$3,250

What each account pays for

Bills$1,980

Day-to-day spending$1,451

Savings$957

Car n

Child n