Running two workspaces for a household

Step 1 — open two workspaces

Each adult opens their own workspace with their own e-mail address. Do not share a mailbox — the magic-link mechanism is not designed for shared inboxes. Both workspaces can be paid from the same joint IBAN as long as the SEPA payer name matches on both invoices.

Step 2 — subscribe to the shared apps in each workspace

The two apps that need to exist in both workspaces for household work are the Budget Planner and the Subscription Tracker. Habit Log is optional — many households use it in only one of the two.

Step 3 — split the envelopes on the first of the month

On the first of each month, open Budget Planner in both workspaces and mirror the same envelopes: rent, groceries, utilities, transport, discretionary. Set the same ceilings on both sides. Do it together, at the kitchen table, in ten minutes.

Step 4 — log in your own workspace

Log your own expenses in your own workspace throughout the month. Nothing syncs between the two — this is on purpose. Journals stay private. Habits stay private.

Step 5 — Sunday morning check-in

Once a week, sit at the kitchen table with two coffees. Open your workspace on your phone or laptop. Compare running totals in Budget Planner. Flag anything surprising. Discuss. Fifteen minutes.

Step 6 — end-of-month A5 print

On the last Sunday of the month, both of you click "Print A5" on the Budget Planner summary. Two cream sheets. Clip together with a paper clip. Put on the fridge as the household ledger. Keep for reference in a physical folder if you like continuity.

Payment and admin

Both invoices arrive on the first working day of the month with distinct SEPA references. Pay together with two separate SEPA transfers (do not merge them into one transfer — the reference matching would fail). If your bank supports a single "batch" SEPA of two lines with different references, that also works.

What to avoid

• Sharing one workspace between two people. The journal privacy is the whole point.
• Setting different envelope ceilings without a conversation. Do the split together.
• Trying to sync data between the two workspaces. There is nothing to sync; that is the point.
• Forgetting to pay two invoices — one household member will inevitably assume the other has paid. Set a shared reminder on the second Wednesday of the month.

What to buy

An inkjet printer, second-hand, EUR 30 to EUR 60. A small paper-clip box. A physical folder to keep the monthly A5 prints. That is the entire "household setup" hardware bill.

Non-affiliation

HuntingtonMod is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Huntington Bancshares Incorporated, Huntington National Bank, or Huntington Investment Company. The two-workspace household model is documented at length in the Amsterdam blog post if you would like a first-person account.