We had the money conversations we needed to have, but we didn’t have a system for them. Every bi-weekly review started from scratch: pulling numbers manually, trying to remember what we decided last time, running out of energy before we got to the planning part. The meeting template solves the structure. The spreadsheet solves the data.
The Problem
Without a repeatable format, financial conversations drift toward guilt rather than alignment. The couple needs a ritual that starts from a shared document, follows a predictable agenda, and ends with a clear picture of where things stand — not a list of unresolved concerns.
What It Is
A two-tier system: a bi-weekly Sunday audit (30 minutes, spending review, leak detection) and a monthly full meeting (60-90 minutes, Big 4 review: Spending, Trips, Savings, Investments). Both follow repeatable markdown templates with standardized CSV inputs. Success is measured by Net Worth increase and Freedom runway, not just budget adherence.
Meeting Structure
Bi-weekly (Sunday): Wins from last two weeks, spending audit, leak identification, one adjustment for next cycle.
Monthly close: Goals review, Big 4 category deep dive, celebration of progress, planning for next month.
Stack
| Tool | Role |
|---|---|
| Markdown | Meeting template and agenda |
| CSV / Excel | Spending and account data inputs |
| Vault scripts | Summary calculations and metrics |