A calm, thorough look at your household money.
The Household Money Check-Up is a private review of your budget, debts and savings with a working accountant, at your own kitchen table. Come on your own or come as a couple. You leave with a written report, a plan for the next 90 days, and clear answers to the money questions nobody ever explained.
$99 launch price for the full check-up, whether that is one of you or both. The intro call is free, with no obligation.
At a glance
Prepared for the Example household
- Left over each month
- +$412
- Emergency fund
- 1.8 mo
- Card and loan debt
- $14,260
| Spending plan | Steady |
|---|---|
| Debt | Needs attention |
| Savings | Steady |
| Insurance and protection | Strong |
Your first priorityBuild one month of expenses in savings, then put the extra toward the 24% card.
Is this for you?
The check-up is built for ordinary households, and especially for young couples setting their habits early, who want to feel in control of their money rather than hand it to a financial planner.
- You earn a decent living but can't say where it all goes.
- You've tried budgeting apps and stopped using them by March.
- You're carrying card or loan balances and want a clear order to pay them off.
- Something is changing: a new job, a baby, a move, a separation, or retirement on the horizon.
- You and your husband or wife want to get on the same page about money without it turning into a fight.
- You'd simply like a knowledgeable second pair of eyes on your numbers.
It isn't the right service if you need a tax return prepared, investment picks or legal help. We'll tell you who to ask instead.
How it works
Five steps over about five weeks, most of which is us doing the work.
- 15 minutes
Free intro call
A short phone call about what you'd like help with and whether the check-up is the right fit. Married? Put us on speaker and listen in together. Nothing to pay and nothing to prepare.
- About 30 minutes
Your intake
A short questionnaire about your household and goals, plus twelve months of bank and card statements where you can download them, and three months at the very least. A full year is what makes the difference, because insurance, property tax, car repairs and holidays only show up once or twice in a year. If you can't work out how to get them, just say so and we'll show you how, on the phone or on a screen share. You're paid up by then and we'd rather help than have you guess. You get your own private upload page on our own server, so nothing sensitive travels by email. We never ask for passwords or account logins.
- Before we meet
We prepare
We sort your spending into categories, build your household snapshot and draft your report, so the session is spent on answers, not data entry.
- 75 minutes
Your session
In person, at your kitchen table if you like, or by video call if that's easier. We walk through your report together and answer your questions in plain English. No lecture and no judgment. If you're married, come as a pair.
- Within 5 business days
Report and follow-up
Your finished report and 90-day plan arrive by email, along with a written summary of the session itself, and you keep the printed copy from the session. About 30 days later, a 20-minute follow-up call to see what's working and adjust the plan.
The report is the part you keep.
A clear, printable document of about a dozen pages, written for you rather than filled in from a template. Here's what's inside.
- At a glance
- One page: what's left over each month, how many months your savings would cover, your total debt, and a simple scorecard.
- Where your money goes
- Your real spending by category, set beside common guidelines, so you can see what's typical and what's unusual for you.
- Your debt picture
- Every balance, rate and payment in one place, with payoff timelines for both common payoff methods.
- Your three priorities
- Not twenty suggestions. The three changes that will make the most difference, in order.
- Your 90-day plan
- Small, specific steps for the next 30, 60 and 90 days that you choose and agree to.
- Your questions, answered
- Plain-English answers to the questions you raise in your intake and during the session.
- A summary of the session
- With your permission we record the session, and you get a written summary of what was said and agreed. Nobody remembers a 75-minute conversation about money. You don't have to take notes.
- Your budget, ready to use
- Both of our budget workbooks, the household budget and the debt payoff planner, with your own numbers already in them. They're yours to keep and reuse.
The Household Money Check-Up
$99one time
Launch price for our first 20 clients. After that, the check-up will be $149.
Book a free intro callEverything listed here is included in the one price. There is nothing else to buy, and we earn no commission from anyone.
If the session isn't useful to you, tell us before it ends and you'll get a full refund.
You pay up front, after the intro call and before we start work, by secure Stripe invoice. Cancel any time before your session for a full refund.
- Free 15-minute intro call, with nothing to prepare
- We do the work beforehand: your statements sorted, your household snapshot built
- 75-minute session in person, or by video call if that suits you better
- Your husband or wife joins free
- Your written report and 90-day plan, yours to keep
- Both of our budget workbooks, with your own numbers already filled in
- Help setting up simple everyday accounts, so every dollar has a job
- A written summary of the session, from a recording made with your permission
- Help getting hold of your statements if you can't find them
- 20-minute follow-up call after 30 days
- Questions by email for 30 days
Plain terms
What you can expect from us, and what we won't do.
What this is
- Personal finance education and coaching, in plain English
- Help setting up simple everyday accounts so every dollar has a job
- A clear picture of your own numbers
- A practical plan made of steps you choose
- Completely independent: we earn no commissions from any bank, lender or product
- As much help as you need getting hold of your own paperwork
What this isn't
- Tax preparation or tax advice
- Recommendations of specific investments or insurance products
- Legal advice
- Contacting or negotiating with your creditors
- A promise about your credit score
Common questions
Do I need to be organized before we start?
No. Most people aren't, and that's the reason to come. If you can download a few statements, we'll do the sorting.
Will you judge how I spend?
No. Your money, your goals, your choices. Our job is to show you clearly what's happening and help you decide what you want to change, not to tell you what to value.
Should my husband or wife come too?
Please do. Most of the households we sit down with are couples, and the plan lasts far longer when you both helped build it. You do not need to agree about money beforehand; where you see things differently is usually the most useful part of the conversation. There is no extra charge for a second person from the same household.
Is this financial advice?
It's personal finance education and coaching. We explain how things work and help you build and follow a plan. We don't prepare taxes, recommend specific investments or insurance products, or give legal advice, and we'll tell you when a question needs a specialist.
What if my debt feels unmanageable?
We'll help you see the whole picture and a realistic payoff order. If you need a formal hardship or repayment plan, we'll point you to a nonprofit credit counseling agency. We don't contact or negotiate with creditors ourselves.
Is my information kept private?
Yes. Your documents are used only for your check-up, stored securely, never shared or sold, and deleted 30 days after your follow-up call. We never ask for passwords or account logins, and we never need your full account numbers.
How do I pay, and what if I change my mind?
You pay $99 up front, after the intro call and before we start work, by a secure Stripe invoice. You can reschedule free with 24 hours' notice, and cancel for a full refund any time before your session. See the refund terms.
I don't know how to download my statements.
That's normal, and it isn't a problem. Tell us which bank and card you use and we'll walk you through it, on the phone or on a screen share, for as long as it takes. Your check-up is already paid for by then, so there's no clock running and nothing extra to pay. If you'd rather post or hand over paper statements, that works too.
Do you record the session?
With your written permission, yes, so that you get a proper written summary of what was said and agreed rather than trying to remember it. You can say no and still get everything else; nothing changes except that the summary comes from our notes instead. The recording is used only to produce your summary, is never shared, and is deleted once the summary reaches you.
Where do we meet?
In person wherever suits you, usually your own home, and you tell us the address when you book. If that isn't practical, we'll do the session by video call instead. Sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings. The intro and follow-up are short phone calls.
Free money guides
Plain-English answers to the questions we hear most. No sign-up needed.
How credit card interest really works
Why a card balance shrinks so slowly on minimum payments, and the one habit that makes interest disappear.
Is a big tax refund a good thing?
A refund feels like a bonus. Here's what it actually is, and how to decide whether yours should be smaller.
Two ways to pay off debt, and how to choose
Smallest balance first or highest interest first? What each method does, and which one suits you.
Start with a 15-minute conversation.
Tell us what's on your mind. If the check-up is a good fit, we'll set it up. If it isn't, we'll point you somewhere better.