# Make one agreement usable


Use this record with the worked examples first. For personal use, keep private financial details in your own secure records; the blank file does not need account numbers or credentials.

| Record field | Your observation |
|---|---|
| Shared obligations |  |
| Income convention and review trigger |  |
| Contribution rule |  |
| Known future bills |  |
| Personal spending boundaries |  |
| Decision threshold |  |
| Primary task owner |  |
| Authorized backup |  |
| Verification record |  |
| Next meeting and unresolved issue |  |

### Make a new agreement from the numbers

Try the calculations before reading the discussion. In a separate fictional household, Priya brings home $4,500 monthly and Lee brings home $1,500. Agreed shared costs are $2,400. Compare equal-dollar contributions, income-proportional contributions and a split that leaves each person the same amount. Ignore separate obligations for this first calculation.

Next, add a known $720 bill due in six months with nothing reserved. Recalculate the proportional split. Write a two-sentence agreement stating the amounts, transfer dates, who verifies receipt and when the arrangement will be reviewed. Identify one missing fact that could change what is workable.

### Compare the results without declaring a winner

An equal-dollar split asks each for $1,200, leaving Priya $3,300 and Lee $300. A proportional split assigns three-quarters of shared costs to Priya: $1,800 and $600, leaving $2,700 and $900. Equal remaining amounts would be $1,800 each, because total income less shared costs is $3,600. Lee cannot retain $1,800 from $1,500 of income merely by making a smaller contribution: this version requires Priya to fund all $2,400 of shared costs and transfer $300 to Lee. A formula can imply an actual transfer, not just two positive bill contributions.

The known bill requires $120 monthly, raising planned funding to $2,520. Under the proportional method, the shares become $1,890 and $630. A workable agreement must also fit the paydays and bill dates. “Transfer after payday” remains incomplete if the shared bill is due earlier.

An essential separate expense, unpaid care or uncertain income could change the decision. These calculations expose consequences; they do not establish legal ownership or choose fairness for the couple. Use the exercise only where both people can participate freely. For a routine bill handoff, verify authorized access with the institution rather than putting passwords in the agreement.