Budgeting Made Easy: Our 2016 Budget Binder!

I’m really excited to share this project with you all. Over the last year I started to track my spending and its made a huge difference in my life. One of my main goals coming into the new year was to finally get out of debt so I decided to get a binder together. When I first started my journey in 2015, I felt really overwhelmed at first. I will be honest, it took me a while to get a system going that worked for me. Don’t be afraid to “borrow” ideas from here and other places to find a solution that works for you. Take it one step at time!

So without further ado, this is our budget binder! I don’t know what it is but if something looks “pretty” I’m going to be a lot more likely to actually stick to it. If you’d like to download these printables just scroll down to the bottom of this post.
Supplies: We keep return labels, stamps, envelopes and pens at the front of the binder. Most bills can be paid online now so this may not apply to you. You might just want to keep extra highlighters and pens in the pouch. You can purchase really inexpensive on binder pockets on Amazon!
Goals: Next we keep a goal sheet in the front of our binder. I always say that a goal without a plan is just a wish. Keeping this sheet here keeps us accountable!Annual Bill Checklist: I can’t tell you how many times I used to wake up in a cold sweat at night and ask myself “Did I pay the rent?!” This checklist has been a real lifesaver, whenever I sit down and pay bills I mark them off on this sheet.Debt Repayment: We have a few debts we’d like to pay off this year. This sheet has all the information on payments and the current balance. One of my favorite things is seeing the amount we owe get lower and lower!
Bank Accounts: I keep the information for my savings, business accounts, and checking accounts here. Just helpful when I’m paying bills online and don’t want to look up the information.
Account Info: We have a million different accounts: mortgage, car insurance, medical insurance, utilities…the list goes on and on. If for some reason I want to pay the bill over the phone, or just need to call the company about an issue all of this information is on one page!
Receipts: We use this pocket to keep track of tax deductible expenses. All of these receipts are then scanned onto my computer for safekeeping. I keep a spreadsheet that automatically adds up the totals. All I have to do is plug in numbers. Now, we don’t necessarily have a TON of these so I usually just clear this out once a month. For more information on what kinds of expenses are tax deductible you can check out this article on Turbo Tax.

How do I track daily expenses?
I use YNAB to budget, and keep track of my daily expenses. YNAB automatically syncs with your bank accounts and makes it really easy to budget for the entire month. While some people prefer to write down every transaction I just don’t have the time to keep up with it myself.

Facebook Budget Groups: Just like people on a weight loss journey, sometimes you need an accountability partner. These groups are wonderful resources and have really helped me on my journey. I really recommend them!
Planning and Budgeting for a Better Tomorrow
JenPlans.com Budgeting & Personal Finance (Dave Ramsey ONLY)

Printable Download: PDF