5 things couples should set reminders for (that aren't birthdays)

This one seems obvious, but the issue isn't usually forgetting the date exists. It's forgetting it in time to do anything about it. Most couples remember their anniversary around the point when the good restaurant is fully booked, the thing that needs shipping won't arrive in time, and coordinating plans would require more notice than you have. The day-of awareness is there. The preparation window is gone.

The other thing that catches couples is anniversary math. You know it's in October, but is it the 14th or the 16th? One partner is confident, the other isn't sure, and neither wants to be wrong. That uncertainty is its own kind of friction. A reminder set once and locked in removes that small recurring stress.

According to research cited in Forbes, intentional relationship dates, ones that are planned and anticipated rather than spontaneous, have a stronger positive effect on relationship satisfaction than unplanned gestures. The planning itself is part of the signal: you made time for this. A reminder a few weeks out gives you that window.

BoldRemind sends pre-reminders 7, 3, and 1 day before the date, which is enough time to book a restaurant or plan something before the window closes. Set up a recurring anniversary reminder once and it fires every year.

Best for: Any couple where one or both partners would struggle to plan something meaningful without a lead-time buffer.

Insurance renewals are the category where doing nothing costs you money. Auto insurance auto-renews every six or twelve months. If you don't shop the rate before renewal, you're locked in for another term at whatever price the insurer sets. Health insurance open enrollment closes on a fixed date each year, and missing it means you're stuck with your current plan until the next window opens. Neither of these events announces itself the way a birthday does.

For couples who share a vehicle or an insurance policy, there's also the ownership problem. One person drives it more, one person is listed as the primary policyholder, and the assumption is that whoever "handles insurance" is on top of it. In reality, that often means both partners assume the other is paying attention. Neither is. The renewal lands in an inbox, gets buried, and the plan rolls over without review.

Health insurance open enrollment in the US typically runs from early November to mid-December for most employer plans, and November 1 through January 15 for ACA marketplace plans. Missing enrollment means you can't change your plan, add a dependent, or switch coverage tiers until the following year unless you have a qualifying life event. Setting a reminder in mid-October gives both partners enough time to review options before the window closes.

Best for: Couples with shared auto insurance, health insurance through an employer, or marketplace coverage. Set the reminder 3 to 4 weeks before the renewal date. Visit auto insurance renewal reminders to set one up.

Annual physicals and dental cleanings are tasks everyone intends to do and most people postpone indefinitely. There's no deadline that feels pressing, and it's easy to tell yourself you'll book it next month. Next month becomes next quarter, and eventually it's been two years since your last checkup and you're not sure how that happened.

For couples, the health-checkup problem has an extra layer: both partners are waiting for the other to schedule first, or one partner books their appointment but doesn't think to mention it until the other realizes they're a year behind. Couples who coordinate their annual checkups, setting reminders together and booking in the same general window, tend to follow through at a higher rate than people tracking it solo.

There's also a financial angle worth noting. Most health insurance plans cover annual preventive visits at no cost, but only within the plan year. If your plan resets on January 1 and you haven't had your physical by December, you've left a covered benefit unused. Dentist appointments follow the same logic: two cleanings per year are typically covered, and skipping one doesn't roll over. A reminder in late Q3 gives both of you time to book before the year fills up.

Best for: Couples who want to stay on top of preventive care without needing to remember to schedule it every year. See our page on annual physical reminders for more on setting this up.

Car registration has a hard deadline: the sticker on your plate expires on a specific date, and driving expired means fines, possible towing, and a fix-it ticket that takes more time to resolve than just renewing on time. Most states send a renewal notice in the mail a few weeks before expiration, but that notice gets buried in the pile of envelopes nobody opens immediately. By the time someone finds it, the deadline is closer than expected.

For couples who share a car, the responsibility gap is especially common. One person drives it more than the other, so the assumption is that whoever drives it tracks the registration. But "more often" doesn't mean "in charge of the admin." Without a clear owner, the registration reminder falls to whoever happens to notice the sticker in the windshield, usually when it's already expired or expiring that week.

Oil changes sit in a similar gray zone. Modern cars stretch oil change intervals to 5,000 or 7,500 miles depending on the oil type, which means it's easy to go several months without needing one. But several months becomes a year surprisingly often. Deferred oil changes don't cause immediate problems. Then they do, usually at the worst possible time. A recurring reminder every 4 to 5 months catches the gap before it becomes a repair bill.

Best for: Couples sharing a vehicle where maintenance ownership is informal. Learn more about car maintenance reminders and how to set up recurring ones.

FSA accounts, the flexible spending accounts tied to employer benefits, are one of the more punishing financial deadlines couples face. Most FSAs require you to spend the money by December 31 or forfeit whatever's left. Some plans offer a grace period or limited rollover, but the default is lose it. Couples with two FSAs can end up leaving hundreds of dollars on the table because they didn't check their balance in November when there was still time to make purchases.

Credit card annual fees create a similar window that most people don't know exists. When a credit card's annual fee posts, most issuers give you 30 to 60 days to cancel the card and receive a full or prorated refund. Miss that window and you've paid for another year whether you want to or not. For couples managing shared finances or holding cards they rarely use, this is a date worth tracking specifically.

Tax filing deadlines are obvious, but the couple-specific part is the coordination involved. If you file jointly, both partners need to gather documents: W-2s, 1099s, mortgage interest statements. Neither can finalize without the other. A reminder in late January gives both partners a heads-up to start collecting paperwork before the last-minute scramble when one person is ready and the other can't find their documents.

Best for: Couples with employer benefits, credit cards with annual fees, or anyone filing taxes jointly. These are worth tracking as a pair since both partners need to act.