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Bullet journal budget tracker ideas1/3/2024 “I think that is because I find the bullet journal entertaining and the trackers I use are more interactive and fun.” Plan your expenses “I have had more success with maintaining and tracking my budget through my bullet journal than I ever have before,” Aston said. Having a visual will make it more tactile and entertaining than an Excel document. For example, draw a picture of a car next to your auto loan payoff goal. What’s more boring than a spreadsheet full of numbers? With bullet journals, you can use interesting colors and drawings to bring life to your budget. If you want to save up for a new car, draw a thermometer-style tracker to see how close you are. If you want to be debt free in two years, monitor your loan payments every month. Your goals will inform how you want to use an analog budget. “I can customize them to meet my specific financial goals and expenses and therefore have a better grasp of what is going on in my life financially,” Aston said. Use it for your specific needs, and expand it when you’re ready. Your bullet journal doesn’t have to conform to what you see online. Some people write down everything they buy, while others only use the notebook to see when their bills are due. Consider moving towards an analog approach slowly, swapping out digital tools for pen and paper as you become more comfortable with the methods you’re planning to use. While giving up digital budgeting cold turkey might work for some, it will be a shock to the system for most people. Create a reminder in your phone so you won’t forget to do it every day. Instead, carry the journal with you to write down transactions as they occur, or keep receipts and get into the habit of reconciling your notebook every night. Listing all your expenses can be overwhelming if you wait until the end of the week or month. “That evolved into a bill tracker and a budget/spending tracker and later I incorporated it into my bullet journal.” How to budget offlineĬurious about starting your own bullet journal or analog budgeting system? Here are some methods to use if you’re just starting out: Make it a daily habit “About five years ago I began to keep a small journal where I only tracked my monthly bills to make sure that I paid things on time,” she said. Aston had tried digital spreadsheet budgets before, but never stuck with them. She posts her bullet journal every month on her blog to show readers how she stays organized. They can draw pictures, use fun colors, and choose a design that fits their personal aesthetic preferences.īullet journal devotee, Jennifer Aston of Eat Sleep Stay Weird, writes down her paychecks, tips, and purchases. Other people enjoy making their bullet journal budget an artistic exercise. Sure, someone could steal your notebook, but it’s not going to give them access to your bank account. These sites encrypt your information, but many people still feel they’re not secure enough. Some people also feel uncomfortable giving bank and credit card information to budgeting sites like Mint. It also usually makes me want to spend less and put more money towards my goals.” “When I write down what I spend every single day, it forces me to look at the numbers and ask myself if I’m happy with them. “I find that putting pen to paper makes the numbers more real,” said Cait Flanders, who paid off $30,000 in two years. A Harvard Business School study found that those who wrote down their goals along with a concrete plan were more successful than those who didn’t. In an era where screens dominate our work and home lives, more and more people are embracing an old-fashioned approach to managing their finances. Proponents also use the BuJo format to log their business and personal expenses. Some check both their savings and checking accounts, while others include frugal reminders to pack a lunch or avoid Starbucks. Traditional bullet journals have specific rules, but those who use them to track their finances have created their own strategies. Some BuJo fans have started using the system to manage their finances, creating daily expense logs and monthly budgets. By using unique symbols to denote tasks, events, and notes, the process is built for simplicity and efficiency. The goal of bullet journaling is to make pen and paper to-do lists more functional.
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