Let's get straight to it. Budgeting is definitely not one of our top ten favourite things on our to-do list. For most, this task is boring, stressful, and a little soul-draining. BUT hear us out. A cute monthly budgeting planner may not be a 'treat yourself' kind of gift right now, but it certainly will play out to be one in the long run.
Have you ever wanted to plan a big trip, eyed up 'that' item in a shop window or wanted to plan a big event like a wedding or party without fretting over the pennies?
This is all possible with a little organisation and willpower. Trust us - it will be so worth it when all your hard-earned money manifests into something you have always wanted.
What is a monthly budget?
A monthly budget is a plan you make for yourself that will determine how much money you will spend each month. This includes outgoing payments such as rent, bills, credit card payments, mortgages, loans and other subscriptions that happen each month.
This will help you to determine your incoming and outgoing payments and will allow you to see how much money you have leftover, in the end, to add to your savings.
So with that in mind, here are our top nine best budget planners so you can get savin'.
Best budget planners
Monthly Finance Organizer by Nokingo
Budgeting - you either love it or hate it. If you are an avid organizer and list taker, then you have to check out budgeting planners. This affordable monthly budgeting planner will keep all your financial goals in one place, featuring pages for your financial strategy, saving tracker pages, debt tracker pages. Plus 12 months budget planner pages and bonus pages with Christmas budgeting and a yearly summary. This planner is available in 2 different colours, teal and rose.Review: "I am so pleased I bought this. It has space for me to keep financial records up to date without having to write tiny!! And I can use it for more than one bank account/credit card."
Clever Fox Budget Planner
Calling all super planners - you are going to love this budget book from Cleverfox. It has all the bells and whistles, from budget stickers to pocket for receipts and bills. This 12-month planner will help you keep on top of your money, spend wisely and will help you to start saving. Manage all your finances, savings, budgets, debts, bills, cash and expenses all in one handy book. It also comes in 12 colours so that you can customize it to your taste.Review: "I brought this planner after watching many YouTube videos on building wealth and seeing how useful having a written down budget can aid financial independence. The person goals section is great to focus on what you are working to achieve. The monthly review is personally the part I like the best, and I can be honest with myself on how I did that month and improve on it the next. There is plenty of expense tracker space."
Erin Condren's Coiled A5 Budget Book
Are you eager to reach your financial goals? If so, it all starts with a budget. This 160-page planner has 13 tabs for organising your accounts. Plus, it comes equipped for 12 months of budgeting and has pages for bills, expenses and debt tracking and 106 stickers to keep everything coordinated and attractive. Budgeting never looked so good.Review: "I really love the book. You have to plan to use the book if you've never budgeted before like this. Very useful!"
A5 Budget Planner
If you are after something simple and effective that you can carry around in your handbag, this budget planner is for you. With only 32 pages, the book provides you with a budget insert for each month and is entirely un-dated, so if you skip a month or want to gift it for the following year, it can still be used.Review: "Absolutely gorgeous planner I'm so happy with it and super fast delivery. Thank you so much."
Legend Budget Planner
This gorgeous budget journal would make a lovely gift and would also look great on a coffee table. The planner comes with a sheet of 109 stickers, which will help manage all your personal finance goals and pages to organise your savings, budgets, debts, payments, bills, and cash flow. We especially love the pages for Christmas budgeting because, let's face it - we all overspend over the holidays. Review: "I did my research to find what the best budget planner would be. This is the best one. It's clearly set out and leaves everything un-dated, so you are fully flexible with choosing when and what time you start. Each month is consistent, and there is plenty of space for everything you could think of. The back of the journal contains Christmas expenses and spending to help you keep track of that too. It also has a yearly review so you can track how far you have come. The stickers are a really cute addition! "
Monthly Budget Planner by Elam Journals & Planners
If you are looking for something cheap, cheerful and cute, then this is the one for you. This 120-page monthly savings tracker has pages to track your debts, budgets, weekly expenses.
Your Balanced Budget Spiral-bound Book
This budget workbook makes keeping track of your costs manageable. Created with easy-to-use charts, monthly budgeting pages, money advice, and prompts to help you develop goals. It comes with 48 pages to fill - so two years of budgeting to plan your summer and Christmas holidays.
Personalised Savings Binder
This personalised budgeting book is a little different to the previous planners. The A6 budget planner is a great way to keep on top of your savings as you can put some cash aside for special occasions in each envelope. It also features four inner pockets and a pen holder, to keep your receipts and notes all in one place. This would be a lovely gift for students, or anyone planning a big occasion or travel plans.
Wedding Budget Book
A little different to a monthly budgeting book but equally as important. This wedding budget book will help you take charge of your finances and give yourself the wedding you deserve. The planner includes a budget breakdown list, a 12-month countdown calendar and a daily budgeting tracker so you can see where you are at with your spending.
Which one do you like best?
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Advice on how to budget money
According toNerd Wallet, here are the top five aspects to consider when looking to manage your finances.
- Calculate your monthly income, pick a budgeting method and monitor your progress.
- Try the 50/30/20 rule as a simple budgeting framework. The basic rule of thumb is to divide your monthly after-tax income into three spending categories:
- 50% of your income for needs.
- 30% of your income for wants.
- 20% of your income to savings and debt repayment.