For couples who live together
Sharing household costs fairly as a couple.
Half and half feels fair, until one of you earns more or the other always does the shopping. Here is where it usually goes wrong for couples, what you share and what not, and how to split by income.
halvr helps you keep track and settle up. Free to start.
A month for Alex and Sam
Alex earns €3,000 after tax and Sam €2,000, so they split 60/40.
| Rent, paid by Alex | €1,200.00 |
| Groceries, paid by Sam | €280.00 |
| Energy, paid by Alex | €140.00 |
| Total | €1,620.00 |
| Alex's share (60%) | €972.00 |
| Sam's share (40%) | €648.00 |
Alex paid €1,340 and Sam €280. Sam transfers €368 to Alex.
Where it usually goes wrong for couples
Rarely about the euros themselves. Usually about what feels fair.
- 1
Half and half, but one of you earns more
What helps
Split in proportion to your income after tax. If one earns €3,000 and the other €2,000, that is 60/40. You then both keep the same share of what you earn.
In halvr: Set the ratio once. Every shared expense is split that way from then on, whoever paid it.
- 2
Who paid last time?
What helps
Stop taking turns. Keep everything in one place and settle at a fixed moment.
In halvr: Each of you uploads your own statement and ticks what is shared. On the day you choose, you see one amount.
- 3
Something that is really one person's
What helps
Agree what is personal, such as clothes, your own sport and presents for your own family.
In halvr: Paid for something that is your partner's? Charge that expense to them in full, and it stays out of the split.
- 4
A joint account that keeps running dry
What helps
A joint account works for fixed bills, but it needs topping up, and anything you pay with your own card falls outside it.
In halvr: Each of you pays from your own account. halvr shows who needs to top up what, without a joint account.
Household bills: set up once
Rent, energy, internet and insurance are most of what you share, and they come back every month. Set them up once.
- On your statement?
- Mark the charge as recurring once. On your next statement halvr recognises it and it is already ticked, with the right category.
- Or let it book itself
- Set it up as a scheduled charge, with the amount and how often: every week, month, quarter or year. halvr books it by itself, even if it is on no statement at all.
- Does it ever stop?
- Give it an end date, or stop it whenever you like. If it runs without an end date, halvr asks now and then whether it is still right.
Regular costs are part of the €4.99 a month subscription.
Scheduled charges
Rent
every month
€1,200.00
books itself
Energy
every month
€140.00
books itself
Internet
every month
€50.00
books itself
Contents insurance
every year
€120.00
books itself
Five agreements to make together
One good conversation beats a small discomfort every month.
- 1
Half and half or by income
By income after tax is fairest when your incomes differ a lot.
- 2
What is shared and what is personal
A list like the one above. Anything not on it, each of you pays yourself.
- 3
When you settle
For example each month, the day after payday.
- 4
What you do about skipping a month
Roll the balance on or always settle. Either works, as long as you both know.
- 5
A fixed moment to review the split
For example every January, or when one of you changes jobs.
One subscription for both of you
Free to start. Every feature for €4.99 a month or €34.99 a year per halvr, with a 14-day free trial. Whoever creates the halvr pays, and your partner joins for free.
Questions from couples
How do we split by income?
You give each of you a share, for example sixty and forty percent. halvr splits every shared expense by that ratio. If things change, you adjust it.
Does my partner see all my spending?
No. On your statement you only tick what is shared. The rest never goes into halvr.
Do we need a joint account?
No. Each of you pays from your own account and uploads your own statement. halvr adds it all up and shows who needs to top up what.
Do we both need a subscription?
No. One subscription covers both of you: whoever creates the halvr pays, and the other joins for free.
Can I pay through halvr?
No. halvr shows who owes whom. You pay the way you always do, by bank transfer or a payment request, and then mark it paid.