The budget for couples who keep their own accounts

Why merging everything, or splitting everything, tends to break

Most budgeting apps assume one of two setups. In the first, every account goes into one pot and both of you see everything. That works for some couples, and it can feel like giving up your independence for others. In the second, you split every cost down the middle and track who owes whom, which turns a household into a ledger.

A lot of couples live somewhere in between. Rent, utilities, groceries and a savings goal belong to both of you. Hobbies, gifts and the occasional impulse purchase belong to one of you. A budget that respects that split is easier to keep, because neither person feels watched or shortchanged.

Allokate is built around that middle path. You decide the shared costs first, then each of you plans what is left in your own way.

How yours, mine and ours works in Allokate

Allokate is a planning app, not a tracker. You give every dollar a job before the month starts, then check in as the month goes. For two people with separate accounts, that looks like this.

1. List the shared bills and cover them first

Add rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, internet and anything else you owe together. Decide how you contribute: half each, in proportion to income, or one person covers some bills and the other covers the rest. Shared bills come off the top, so the rest of the plan is honest.

2. Plan your own money your own way

After shared costs, you each plan what remains. Your categories, your goals and your pace. Nobody has to explain a coffee budget or a bike fund to a spreadsheet owner.

3. Mark what is ours, then check in together

When a purchase is for both of you, mark it Ours and Allokate splits it evenly. The Household screen shows yours, mine and ours in one bar, plus a short weekly check-in so the money talk stays five minutes long.

What your partner sees and what stays private

Sharing is a setting, not a surprise. In Settings you pick one of three modes for your household.

• Share everything, if you would rather see one combined picture.
• Choose what to share, so shared bills and goals are visible and the rest is not.
• Keep yours private, for couples who want a plan together and nothing more.

Bank logins stay with Plaid and never reach Allokate or your partner. Bank access is read-only, so Allokate cannot move money. The full details are on the security page.

Free and Pro, side by side

Your partner is always free. Two people can plan together on the free plan without a card. Pro is there for bank sync and bigger households.

Who Allokate is for, and who it is not

Allokate suits couples who like a plan, who keep some money separate, and who use iPhone or the web. It is a good fit if you have felt that other apps either show everything to everyone or make you fight over who paid for what.

It may not suit you if you need an Android app today, if you want a bill-splitting ledger with chat, or if you want deep investment tracking. There are other apps built for those jobs. See how Allokate compares with Honeydue and Monarch.

Allokate started as the founder's college budget and grew into the way he and his wife plan money together. It is made in North Carolina, and Ben reads every email at support@allokate.io.

Questions people ask

Try your first month together.

Set up yours, mine, and ours in about 10 minutes. Your partner joins free.