Short answer: share a Google Sheet with your partner, both of you install Okane, both of you sign in with Google accounts that have access to the Sheet. You’re now running the same envelope budget on both phones, in real time, for $0. No “family plan” upcharge. This works because Okane uses the Sheet itself as the database, not a proprietary cloud — so sharing a Sheet means sharing the budget.
Most budgeting apps treat couples as an upsell tier. YNAB charges $109/year and your partner needs their own login. Monarch charges $99/year for the household plan. Goodbudget’s couples support is fine but caps at 20 envelopes on the free tier.
The reason couples plans exist isn’t because two-person budgeting is inherently more expensive. It’s because most budgeting apps store your data in their cloud, and sharing it requires permissioning, account linking, and infrastructure they want to charge for.
If your budget lives in a Google Sheet you own, none of that infrastructure is needed. Sharing a Google Sheet is free. Both partners get the same view. Edits sync in real time.
How to set it up (5 minutes)
- One partner installs Okane (iOS or Android) and creates a budget. Okane copies a template Sheet into their Drive.
- Open the Sheet in Google Sheets. It’ll be in the partner’s Drive named something like “Okane Budget.”
- Click Share at the top right and add the other partner’s Google account with Editor access.
- The other partner installs Okane and signs in with the Google account that now has Sheet access.
- In the app, choose “Connect existing budget” and select the shared Sheet.
That’s it. You’re both budgeting against the same Sheet. Add a transaction on one phone, it shows up on the other.
What works well
- Real-time sync. Both partners see updates immediately.
- Joint and personal categories in one budget. Make a “personal spending” envelope per partner if you want fenced-off money.
- Spreadsheet auditing. If you ever disagree about a transaction, open the Sheet and see exactly when and from whose phone it was logged.
- No second subscription. The whole budget is free unless you both want bank sync, which is $5/mo per Premium account.
- Cancellation-proof. If one of you stops using Okane, the budget Sheet stays.
What to watch out for
A few couples-budgeting friction points that show up regardless of app:
- Decide who logs what. Without a rule, you’ll either double-log or miss transactions. The simple rule that works: whoever made the purchase logs it.
- Don’t share Premium accounts. Each partner needs their own Okane login (with their own Google account on the Sheet). Premium is per-account; if both of you want bank sync, you each pay $5/mo. If only one of you needs it, only one of you pays.
- Use the same envelope structure. Don’t have one partner reorganize the categories on a whim — the other partner’s running budget in their head will get confused.
Cost comparison
| Setup | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Okane free tier, shared Sheet | $0 |
| Okane Premium (one partner) | $5/mo |
| Okane Premium (both partners) | $10/mo |
| YNAB (with full family access) | ~$15/mo |
| Monarch (household plan) | ~$8.33/mo |
| Goodbudget premium (couples) | ~$8.33/mo |
If you don’t need bank sync, the free tier is genuinely complete. If one of you is the budgeting nerd and the other just wants the app to show envelope balances, only the nerd needs Premium.
The thing most couples actually need
In my experience the friction in couples budgeting isn’t the app. It’s whether both partners actually engage with the budget. An app where both partners can see the same envelopes, add transactions, and check balances on their own phone removes one excuse. It doesn’t replace the conversation.
But if you’ve been putting off setting up a shared budget because every option costs $100+/year, that excuse is gone. Share a Sheet. Install the app. Done.
Okane is free for both partners. Premium adds Plaid bank sync if either of you wants it.