Charlie Wright

Co-signing the single payday idea - what made it stick for us was two joint accounts: Bills and Spend. Fixed costs autopay from Bills and we auto-top up Spend once a week for groceries/household; whatever’s left on Friday sweeps back to Bills as “Irregulars” to build the buffer. If your bank has buckets/sub-accounts and use them; if not, a shared sheet with five lines (rent, utilities, groceries, transport, irregulars) plus one “annuals” sinking line is plenty. Biggest pitfall was mixing methods (splitting some things in an app while also using a joint card), so pick the joint-card-plus-percentage split and stop tracking reimbursements entirely.

Marketing “one-hand fold” usually means you can start it with one hand but you’ll still need a wrist flick and maybe a hip to steady it - test it with a weighted diaper bag to mimic real life which and yeah for walks, prioritize slightly bigger wheels and some suspension; the ultra-light travel strollers can chatter on cracked sidewalks. Also look for an auto-lock and a carry strap or standing fold so it stays put while you’re holding the baby.

One more thought - Lead with the limit before any small talk: “Hi which, yeah... i’ve got 90 seconds as I head to a call,” keep moving then close with a cheerful “that’s my minute - see you!” If they keep going, use the same line again word-for-word (the broken-record technique) while taking a step away and waving. You can also set a clear signal for longer chats, like “If I stop and take off my earbuds, I’m free,” so quick hellos don’t turn into 20 minutes.