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Fully Shared Budgeting

If all your money is shared, this is the simplest way to budget together.

Written by Tom Richardson
Updated today

What “Fully Shared” means

You treat all income and spending as one combined pot.

  • One shared view of money

  • One budget for everything

  • No separation between “yours” and “mine”

You’re both working from the same numbers.


How it works in Lumio

Your budget is split into three parts:

1. Committed costs

These are your regular, expected outgoings.

Examples:

  • Rent or mortgage

  • Bills and subscriptions

  • Childcare

These are the costs you plan for first.


2. Non-monthly

Irregular or occasional costs that don’t happen every month.

Examples:

  • Holidays

  • Car repairs

  • Annual payments

These are tracked separately so they don’t disrupt your monthly spending.


3. Flexible

Your day-to-day spending.

Examples:

  • Groceries

  • Eating out

  • Shopping

This is the part you adjust during the month.


Setting up your budget

  1. Add your committed costs

  2. Set up any non-monthly categories

  3. Allocate what’s left to your flexible spending

You’ll always be able to see:

  • How much you’ve planned

  • How much you’ve spent

  • What’s left


How you use it together

  • You both see the same budget

  • You can review and adjust it together

  • One person can take the lead, but both stay aligned

You don’t need to track who paid for what — just where you stand as a couple.


Why this works

  • You always have a shared view

  • No hidden spending or gaps

  • Easier to make decisions together

  • Less end-of-month surprises


Tip

Start simple.

You don’t need perfect numbers — just a rough plan you can adjust over time.

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