Lauren Cobello » Budgeting » Budget Tips and Tricks » The Best Budget Planner
Have you been searching high and low for the best budget planner? Look no further, because I’ve tried them all and have found the budget planner that I go back to year after year!
What money saving budget planner is this? The Personal Finance Planner is the one that I chose! Here are the questions that I asked myself when trying to pick my next finance planner.
1.) Does it have a monthly calendar page?
When looking for the best budget planner, I needed the planner to have a monthly budget page. I like to write out my bills that are due on a monthly page so that I can see where they fall in the month. It is helpful for me to see this because when I am agreeing to another monthly payment (like a vehicle), I need to see how it lines up with the rest of my spending.
This planner has a beautiful monthly calendar page. The planner and the interior pages is blank, so I can start it at any time of the year. The planner comes with pre-made month stickers that I can put on the top of the page (see blue dot on left page). Those sticks are found at the back of the planner. The planner also comes with Payday Stickers and Budget Night Stickers. The Budget Night is the night that you sit down and figure out your budget.
2.) Does it have a budget planner page?
I NEEDED a budget planner page in my planner. It is the only way that I know how to budget my cash out. This planner has an easy to use budget planner page. I am easily able to plan my bills and my other expenses out on this page. I can see how much income I have vs. the expenses I have going out. It helps me know how much to take out for cash using my cash envelopes.
3.) Can I keep track of my bills month by month?
Not only does this planner help track your financial goals month by month, it has a monthly Bill Schedule Page. I like this because I write down all of my bills on the bill schedule page, then transfer them month to month. It really helps me by keeping it all in the same place every month. That way I don’t have to continue to look everything up, it is already right there in the previous month! I use the information in the Bill Schedule page to put my bills on the monthly planning page.
4.) Is it fully customizable – can I start at any time of the year?
This was an absolute MUST when starting to look for the best budget planner. I hate spending money on something only to realize that it is only usable for 6 months. Many planners start in January and end in December. I wanted a planner that I could pick up and start at any time of the year. This planner comes with clear month stickers to put on the tabs of the planner, as well as round month stickers to put on certain pages. I started my budget plan in March of this year (yes I was being lazy).So, I started my planner in March. This way I get the entire years use out of it.
5.) Is there a week by week planning page?
This planner has 5 weekly pages per month. There is a spot to put your daily activities as well as your meals for that night. It makes it very easy to plan your days and your money in the same place.
6.) Does it have a place to put my weekly meal plan?
This planner is unlike any planner in the market because of it’s inclusion of meal planning. Not only is there a place to put your meal plan on your weekly calendar, but it also includes a shopping list that you can use to write out your weekly grocery list while you plan your meals. This is one of the main reasons why I love this planner so much – meal planning is one of the major ways that I keep my budget in check.
No other planner in the market adds in this meal planning component.
7.) Does it help me organize my debts?
When getting out of debt, I had bills misplaced all around my house. I never knew where anything was. That was one of the main benefits of using a budget planner, to have a central location for all of my bills and debts.
The Personal Finance Planner has Debt Reduction Sheets and Debt Reduction Goal Sheets. These are in each and every month, so you can easily track your progress. It gave me a little high five every month to notice my progress and be proud of myself!
8.) Does it support my love of using cash envelopes?
I LOVE using cash envelopes, so I needed to make sure that my planner supported that love. The Personal Finance Planner actually comes with a package of cash envelopes as well as stickers to put on them! The cash envelopes are made out of really thick paper, I’ve used the same ones for two years and they are still in great condition. A pack of 8 envelopes comes along with your planner!
9.) Is it easy to use?
This planner is extremely easy to use. It gives prompts along the way, making it really easy to use. In the front of the planner there are pages for goals, special dates to remember, a gift tracker, and much more! It really is the BEST BUDGET PLANNER!
10.) Is it affordable?
The price of this planner is a bit more than your typical Walmart or Target planners, but at $45 you get what you pay for. The quality is amazing! I’ve used it all year and it never broke. It has saved me more than the $45 it cost to purchase it! The cover is very sturdy, it comes with an elastic strap to keep it together. There are two pockets, one inside each cover. The pages are beautiful and easy to write on.
The Personal Finance Planner is the best budget planner in the market! You can spend less money, but you won’t find a more comprehensive and easy to use planner than this one!
You can get a planner at ThePersonalFinancePlanner.com!
COMMENTS