The Shared Ledger
RISING INDEX · MM‑INDEX‑2025‑SIG‑003 Signal Admission · Season 01 (2025)
THE SHARED LEDGER — MONEY IN DAYLIGHT
What we’re seeing
One budget with equal edit rights. Repair, Savings, and Estate are fixed lines. “Ledger Night” happens monthly.
Why it matters
Money moves from guessing to deciding. Repairs happen before crisis; equity becomes a plan.
Lineage / Parallel
Household account books modernized; envelope methods → shared sheets.
Lived markers
One sheet; three tabs (Monthly/Annual/Repairs); surplus rule pinned at the top.
Start today (10-minute setup)
- Create 8 real categories.
- Add a Repairs tab with dates/quotes.
- Surplus rule: overage → Savings on the 28th.
- Calendar the first Thursday.
Time & tools
20 min/month · shared sheet · calendar invite.
Field tests
- Misc: ≤5% by month 2.
- Repairs: ≥1 booked pre-failure.
- Clarity: Either partner explains plan in ≤60s.
Keep the standard
No “miscellaneous” beyond 5% • Repairs booked before failure • Plan written in plain English at the top
Accessibility / life layers
Voice notes or color-coded rows for different processing styles.
Proof ideas
Mid-month conflicts (count) • pre-failure repairs (count) • net savings Δ (90 days) • estate line funded (yes/no).
Common pushbacks & replies
- “It’s tedious.” → “20 minutes; the rules do the rest.”
- “I’m bad with spreadsheets.” → “We’ll keep 8 lines—no more.”
Adoption criteria (flip to Admitted)
3 consecutive Ledger Nights and Estate funded with ≥1 pre-failure repair executed.
House note
Clarity is a kind of calm.
Related: House Ledger
Date: 2025-11-— · Observer/Editor: AB · Geography: [City] · Status: Observing · Next review: +6–8 weeks
