Keeping track of bills, paychecks, money, and budgeting is a JOB! To make life easier for me, I created a “Budget Planner” that I use to take care of the finances in our home. I purchased this planner at Filofax. Its the Aston (Personal Size) in Mushroom color. I find it much easier to have access to our finances at all times. I keep it in my purse.
The planner can also be used as a wallet. I have another wallet that I am using, but I placed my cards & money in here to show you how it functions. I do keep my checkbook in here.
I use the month on 2 pages to write in my bill due dates. When I get a bill in the mail, I immediately write it in this bill section. I check them off when I pay them. I always use my banking online bill pay to pay our bills. I usually pay bills twice per month. I highlight the paydays in yellow.
I use the “personal finances” sheets as my checkbook register.
I write all of our paydays in the “personal full year horizontal organizer”. We get paid the same days every month, so this was easy to do. As we get paid, I write in the amount. This way, we can keep track of our net income throughout the year.
I keep tax receipts in the zipper pocket on the right side of the planner. I write the amount in the designated category (in the planner) and file the receipts when I get a chance.
My categories are:
Checkbook
Paydays
Budget
Blog Income
Tax Receipts
Bills Due
Other things you can place in your budget planner: Cash envelopes & account numbers & contact numbers.
HAPPY BUDGETING
*I am not a Filofax affiliate nor do I make any money by sharing their products. I am simply a consumer who loves their stuff!
Toni- thank you for sharing. It’s daunting how much work I have ahead of me. There is NO organized method to our money madness (can’t even use the word budget b/c there is none). I’m going to have to re-read this post several times!
Keep at it! There was no system and everything was a mess when my husband was in charge of our finances. Now I have everything under control and we have a savings account!!!
Rachel.. Like you I had to make a major shift in my non budget money management-less approach about a year ago. The book and system used in “Americas Cheapest Family’Gets You Right on Your Money,” was a life saver. It would work very well with the “Lemon” approach/filofax explained above. I am not an affiliate of this book in anyway .. just found it super helpful. Hope that helps.
Rachel – Check out Dave Ramsay’s website and methods – he is a Christian guy and has good principles to follow whether you are a Christian or not. There is also a lady named Gail vaz Oxlade that is really good. I have kind of combined both methods and I have come up with some thing that works for my family. It is so important to have a plan – Mary Kay Ash said “IF you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I believe that is true
Best wishes!!
I LOVE Gail vazOxlade!!!
I love your financial/budget planner…..I keep mine in my regular planner and I use a think pink notebook. I might just have to create me one just like yours too!
Rachel,
You should really check out Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover book. It is very helpful.
Do you use this in conjunction with an online program or app? We’re currently trying to organize our budget and I’m torn between going with an organizer, app (Mint) or some combination of both. I’d love to hear your advice!
Let me get this out of the way before I ask my question, because I’m a little preoccupied with it…. I LOVE YOUR NEW BAG!
Its just scrumptious.. and I love the light LV pattern… just fabulous, and great size too!
Ok, now on to business: I have a question or really I’m just curious why you still write checks? I have a check book, but I do electronic billing for my VISA/ Am Ex/ Insurance/ Cable/ Cell phones/etc. I only write 3 checks a month because of the convenience of electronic banking. I was just wondering why do all the work that comes with writing checks every month?
Comments: I’m so in love with your blog…. I’m so on a “get organized for 2013 roll”!! Thanks!
Do you also use the folio as a date book or is this strictly for finances?
Love it! I will have to check out those planners. I found these totally awesome desk pads and thought of you. I just ordered a few for my office. http://www.emilyley.com/collections/desk-pads
Check it out! Erin
I just did a post on how I organize my family’s budget! I do ours mostly on an Excel Spreadsheet and I love seeing how other family’s organize their own budget, thanks for sharing!
Toni, do you use an electronic planner as well along with your budget binder or do you use only Folifax?
I keep my finances in my Franklin Covey Compact. I find I do better having it with me, too. I love the way you used the horizontal monthly (or whatever you call it) for your bills. I like that better than a traditional calendar.
Thanks for sharing. I organizing our finances will be one of my next projects.
Thanks so much for sharing! My hubby and I are working on finding a routine that works for us and your ideas are excellent!
I only keep track of our paydays and bills due! lol We currently work in the Middle East where there are no taxes so one less thing to keep track of
Thanks so much for this post! This will help me be more organized with my monthly budgeting and planning. I just ordered one of these! Got one for 60% off too
Thank you! I feel inspired! Just what I was looking for!
I was wondering. Where in the filofax do you put your checkbook? And also, do any of the other brands of inserts fit in the filofax, such as Franklin Covey or Dayrunner?
What type of pens are you using in your budget binder? I like the variety of colors.
Great post! I recently put together a finance Filofax as well. And I can’t resist commenting on your bag. Neverfull, right? Gorgeous! It photographs really well.
Toni-
I am a freak about budgeting and planning/organizing… I really would like to find a budget planner and appointment scheduler all in one… I’m a therapist by day, professor at night, and mommy and wife 24/7… I really do well with spiral bound planners but cannot find something to meet my high expectations and needs!! Any idea on where to find what I am looking for? Or better yet, to develop my own?
Love your page!
Toni:
Thank you for the info on how you have this filofax set up! Love it! And it gave me some great ideas as I have a Personal Finsbury that is not being used.
Thank you!
Lisa
This is an awesome set-up for organizing finances! Definitely helpful for getting started!
so u keep a aston beside your a5? one for bills and the other for daily planning?
This is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing…
Very nice! Lots of great ideas as usual which I will certainly refer to often. As a side note I have the exact same planner in the same color. I just received it 2 weeks ago and it has quickly become one of my favorites. (I am one of those crazies with a Filofax obsession and own several…which doesn’t help my budgeting efforts!). I originally wanted it in the plum color and was not too taken with a Mushroom color but once I received it I thought how elegant it is. Thanks for sharing your budget planner!
Great post. It came at a perfect time for me. I just ordered the Malden Personal Filofax to use somewhat as the same purpose. Can you tell me how you do your budget section? Do you just use plain paper and write it out or do you use something else to guide you? Thanks for any info. Love your blog!!
Another wonderful post! This is wonderful!
Toni,
I love the idea of having planners. I had a Mom on the Go Organizeher when I had my baby and I never felt so confident! But now I am on to trying to keep the house and budget organized. I love your organizers, and they seem to be perfect for what I need. But I can’t afford them. I looked on the filofax website, and I laughed so hard at the price I almost cried. Well, I did cry, because I can’t afford it! Do you have any cheaper recommendations? And I am talking like $20. Thanks for all of your insight, you have no idea how much you have helped me!
Try Target! I got mine there an I love it! I’ve also gotten ones I love at office supply stores… Happy hunting
I found my new one on ebay….it is a discontinued color and it was half the price.
I have a question about some of your sections…the tax receipts section-can you clarify? Do you mean receipts that are expenses/tax deductions? Also, in your budget section-do you just keep it list style, or do you use a certain paper or organization? Just trying to not re-invent the wheel with organization. Thanks!
My Filofax arrived today! I got a beautiful plum color!
Can you tell me pretty quickly what to order from Filofax to “supplement” the existing things that come with it? (I want to make it our financial go-to organizer) I’m new to Filofax and don’t want to mis-order.
I have a question along the same lines as Allison. I noticed that you have a “Budget” section in all of your various planners. Are you using them all for the household budget or are they budgets for particular functions? If you use them all for the household budget, how do you keep track of them? Updating all of them seems to defeat the purpose.
Thanks in advance!!!
First off I love you blog, I spend lots of time reading and re-reading blogs you’ve written! Also for Christine Gossard…I also checked out Filofax and almost died at some of the prices…however…check the discounted/sale items!! I found the Sketch Personal Organizer and ordered a few “extras” and spent a total of: $27.10! It was alittle more than I really wanted to spend…but I think its going to work perfect for me! I like to have access to my finances etc whenever I need them and this is the prefect on the go organizer!
Thanks Toni! I just got a personal size Finsbury to do this with. Today I am setting up the budgeting part of it. We’ve been so derailed this past year with expenses coming at us from every direction that it’s gotten out of control and I NEED control over our budget! Hate that careening feeling. I think having something more portable like this will make it easier for on the go. I just need paper to do it on (tried using apps on my phone but they just don’t do it for me) and my current system involves a big notebook and folders in a hanging file bin! Not exactly something I can carry around, lol! This looks like the perfect solution. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!! Thank you for sharing! I would love to be in control of our money instead of it being in control of me!
Hi,
I am looking over your organizing tips and they look great, but I am pretty ADD, worse since menopause (!) and my eyes glaze over at all of your categories and systems, and I close the page! Is there a very simple system you know of for those of us who are easily distracted?? Help! Please!
Namcy
Just begin with the home organization 101 series. Start with day 1.
Ok, I will do it. Unfortunately, I lost my Filofax.
Don’t want to spend more on another one.
Nancy