A list of finance bullet journal ideas to save more and spend wisely
“You must gain control of your money, or the lack of it will forever control you.” One is not a grown-up until he gets his finance under control. If you are looking to spend less, save more and be more mindful of money, bullet journals may help.
We’ve gathered some of the most creative and inspirational bullet journal ideas for personal finance. First, if you are new to bullet journaling, the official bullet journal website’s guides can come in handy.
But if you are already familiar with monthly spreads, indexes, and other bujo basics, let’s start to organize your finances with these amazing bujo layouts.
Table of content
- How to set up a bullet journal for personal finance?
- Bullet journal budget trackers
- Savings trackers
- Spending trackers
- Track your debt payoff with bullet journal
How to set up a bullet journal for personal finance?
One common mistake of bujo amateurs is going too big and trying to cover everything. To plan effectively and consistently, it’s better to start small.
Try to ask yourself one question before setting up a money journal: what’s your main financial goal at the moment? Are you trying to save money for a trip? Or are you looking to pay off your debt or student loan?
Now let’s start with the basics – the Budget Trackers.
Bullet journal budget tracker
“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” That’s why budgeting comes first. If you don’t know where to start making a budget tracker, try breaking down your monthly spending into categories just like this one.
source: @avaguavastudies
We are also in love with this budget planner spread because of the flippable design. This way you can write down the actual spending and keep your spending on track.
Another example is to split your budget and expense trackers into 2 pages side by side.
Just like this bullet journal layout from @pacificnotation, you will have a clear idea of where the money goes at the end of the month.
source: @pacificnotation
Savings trackers
Stopping yourself from spending that extra penny is never easy. When it comes to keeping a savings tracker, visualizing your goal will get you further.
If you are a traveler, a saving goal bujo spread like these two can really be a motivation.
source: @written.intentions
source: Little Coffee Fox
Or maybe you are saving up for a new phone like @ printable_for_planners or anything on your wishlist. Imagine the excitement working your way up!
With each slot you fill, you are one step closer to getting what you want.
source: @printable_for_planners
source: @sandraskreaties
Sometimes we just want to save more for the future with no specific saving goal in mind, and that’s totally ok. This savenopoly by @craftyenginerd definitely worth a try for those who tend to quit halfway.
source: @craftyenginerd
You decide which numbers to write on the chart. For each week, roll a die to see how much to save.
Here is another cute saving tracker from @dotted.paper. It may not seem much for a month or two. But given the time and persistence, you will be having a huge “gold pot” at the end of a year.
source: @dotted.paper
Planning to buy a house? Turn the goal into motivation!
source: @a.penny_.plan
Or create a step-by-step towards financial freedom.
source: @kydicreate
Don’t forget to cover short-term saving goals (days and weeks) and long-term goals (months and years).
source: @quietcollections
Spending trackers
This is a tough one.
Being honest about how much you spend is just as wrenching as tracking your calories. But if you want to be mindful of money, knowing where all the money goes is a must.
Firstly, a spending log works as a reminder. If you have to mark down how much you spend every day, you’ll less likely to impulsively buy a bunch of stuff you don’t need.
Secondly, after a while of tracking your spending, the problem areas will start to show up. You may see yourself spending particularly more on a certain category or on special occasions.
Knowing what’s wrong is the first step to fix your finance.
We are in love with this finance tracking spread from @b.studies. This minimalist spread is super functional, combining expense tracker, bills and income tracker all in one. You’ll be able to see everything at a glance.
And the money quote and tips make it even more inspiring and motivational to keep a money journal.
source: @b.studies
If you already have a monthly or weekly spread, try adding an expense log section to it. This student’s bullet journal page is a perfect example of starting small.
source: @b.studies
Here’s another super simple but yet functional layout to track your expenses.
source: @kenzies.journaling
For those that just begin tracking your expense, why not start with a little warm-up?
Dedicate a page for a 7 day or 30-day #Spend less challenge. If you are happy with the results, make it long-term. If not, feel free to make your own twist or simply shorten the challenge. Starting small never goes wrong.
Here are 3 no-spend challenge page layouts to give you some ideas:
source: Pinterest
source: @plannerbabe_krys
source: @yespleaseplanning
When you are totally comfortable in tracking your spendings, try to transit to a yearly spending log like this:
source: @everydayreflections
To jump-start tracking your spent and save more, here is a set of Kakeibo budgeting printables. From income, budget to actual expense, you can track and manage all of them following this Japanese accounting system.
Click here to download the free printables.
Track your debt payoff with bullet journal
Keeping track of your debt is not just a strategy of managing your finance but is also mentally relieving. Putting those numbers on paper so you won’t need to keep them in mind anymore.
If you are trying to pay off your credit card debt, student’s loan or house mortgage, these debt tracking bujo pages will shed some light:
A creative debt-free thermometer
source: @marianeofcysn
A graph to make your debt-free journey visible
source: The Petite Planner
What are your bujo tips for managing your finance?
Which of these bullet journal ideas do you find helpful? Share your bujo tips and ideas in the comment.
More bullet journal ideas:
Shreya Dalela
Wednesday 24th of November 2021
Oh wow! This is so good I really got some new ideas to make my finance bullet journal more organized.
OurMindfulLife.com
Wednesday 24th of November 2021
Glad you find them helpful!