Every year I create a new design in my bullet journal for tracking yearly financial goals.

Sharing a photo of this year’s layout with colors chosen based on the season and themes for each month.

While money, budget tracking, and finances can be a very personal topic, I don’t think there is anything wrong with discussing ways we each plan.

You never know how a tip from another person can make a difference.

I’m not financial expert by any means but journaling about my income and spending habits since 2019 has truly helped me reach so many goals.

Using this personal system has helped me accomplish my first apartment, a new car, a second apartment, and now house renovations since January 2024.

Plus other investment purchases like my Cricut Explorer machine with the hopes to expand my Etsy shop.

For a printable Financial Planner Sheet, please visit my Etsy shop here:

Simple Financial Tracking Sheet

Budgeting Financial Planner / Journal Design

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So my creative themes vary year to year but the general concept stays the same.

Each month I use stencils and colored pens to make sections of boxes for income, and a divider line between Planned and Unplanned Expenses.

As the days or weeks pass I write in each paycheck I receive, any income from my online business, cash back rewards, bank interest earned, or any other miscellaneous income.

In the Planned (bills, gas, ez pass etc.) and Unplanned sections I write in each fee I pay.

At the end of the month I compare Earnings vs. Expenses to see how much I Saved for that particular month.

I then take that financial number amount(hopefully more Saved than spent) and write it in on the first page that I planned out for the year in the correlating month.

This process helps me track and be mindful of the flow of my money through out the month, while also working towards the year long goal.

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End Goal

As a side note, this is not to say I never splurge and spend ‘extra’ money elsewhere before the end of the year.

But it helps me prioritize what I am a striving towards.

If there is something I do want mid-season, I try to wait until the end of the month to see how I’ve done so far.

For example in November I wanted to get the Cricut Explore machine, but I waited to see how the month was flushing out and then combined it with holiday sales.

This way I was able to buy the equipment while also staying on target for savings for the year.

I hope this personal guideline can help you in same way, or to find your own financial journaling system that works best for you.

Thank you for reading!

Rebekka

For more Journaling articles click here:

https://rlsphotogenic.com/category/journaling