Setting Up Shared Living: A Cohabitation Workbook for Couples

A smooth move-in is built on conversations that many couples never have until something breaks. This hands-on course walks you through those conversations and produces the artifacts that prevent the most common conflicts. By the end of this course you will have a written shared values and expectations document, a joint budget with handling for shared and personal expenses, a chores and household responsibilities plan, a guest and family visiting plan, and a cohabitation agreement outline you can refine with legal help if appropriate. What you will learn: - How to discuss expectations about cleanliness, noise, sleep, guests, and personal time - How to design a joint budget that handles rent, utilities, groceries, and shared purchases fairly - How to handle income differences without creating resentment - How to assign chores in a way that survives the honeymoon period - How to plan how to handle visits from family and friends and longer stays - How to discuss pets, children, and prior obligations honestly - How to draft a cohabitation agreement that addresses property, shared purchases, and what happens if you separate The course is structured as a workbook. Each module provides discussion prompts, templates, and worked examples. You complete each piece together with your partner. This course is written for couples planning to move in together or in the early months of doing so. By the end you will have replaced unspoken assumptions with a set of shared agreements, and the early months of shared living will reflect agreements you both made rather than habits that simply formed.