Bullet Journal | Budget & Savings Log

There are many different "logs" and "lists" you can put in your BuJo. One of the many notebooks I've carried around with me FOREVER is my budget notebook. I handle the finances for our family and I've created a pretty good system for keeping track of what bills are due and what paycheck I need to pay them with. The one thing I'm NOT good at, however, is saving. So, I researched "savings plans" on Google... after combing through an OVERWHELMING amount of plans, I decided to follow two: The 52-Week Savings Plan (in reverse) and the Christmas Savings Plan.

In my BuJo, I created a "savings log" spread. On one side, I have the 52 weeks savings plan. On the other side, the Christmas Savings plan. Each week I move money to my savings account, I revisit this page so I can check off the savings and keep track of my goals.

The great thing about the Bullet Journal is the flexibility it provides. I can't stress it enough! If you don't like one layout, use it for a week (or month) and try another one! There are ENDLESS options on Pinterest and the internet. Prime example: my budget log. I thought keeping it together with my monthly layout would be a good idea. After February, though, I decided I needed them all in the same place, so I changed my layout. It's worked out great the past two months! I didn't change my system, just moved where I kept the information.

As I continue my BuJo journey, I can look back at how it's evolved. I loved the concept when I first heard about it, and I love it even more now that I've started one of my own! What about you? How do you use your BuJo for budgeting and savings goals?

If you're just joining me on my BuJo journey, be sure to check out my previous posts:
Bullet Journaling | How I Got Started and Bullet Journal | Future Log

Bullet Journal | Future Log

Last week, I introduced you to the Bullet Journal concept. This week, I'm going to start the introduction into my own BuJo. The beauty of this system is the flexibility. There is so much room to make the BuJo your own... to make it work for YOU.

I wanted to start this series by introducing you to my future log. As stated in the last post, I use my future log to notate events that I need to remember for the upcoming year, as well as events that have happened and I want to remember for the next year. There are so many different ways you can set up your own future log. I chose to do my birthdays and anniversaries separate because I have so many I need to keep up with.

(Yes, that says "Birtdays"....)

I also chose to do the whole year on a 2 page spread for my future log. Some have chosen to do a few months to six months at a time. For me, it just seemed easier to have it all on the same page.

Check out the Bullet Journal blog for more Future Log ideas. You can also check out Pinterest for even more fun ideas!

Bullet Journaling | How I Got Started

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of work you have on your plate? Is your desk over run by sticky notes and random pieces of scratch paper? Do you wish you had a better way to organize your life? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then I've got the perfect solution for you. Introducing the Bullet Journal: a revolutionary organizer that can be as simple or complex as you'd like it to be!

Alright, I'll stop sounding like an infomercial. I was introduced to the wonderful world of Bullet Journaling by a friend of mine. She was raving about how it helped her organize all of her work and personal life in one place. I started researching the concept and wasn't immediately hooked. Enter Pinterest. If you are ever on the fence about something, there is nothing like Pinterest to get you hooked or completely dissuade you. I realized how much fun I could have with a Bullet Journal (affectionately known as a BuJo) and decided to give it a try.

First things first: Learn more.

Start here: Bullet Journal: The Analog System For The Digital Age. I got the best understanding of what a Bullet Journal is and what I can do with it from this site. Plus, they have lots of ideas on how to customize your Bullet Journal.

Now that you've fallen in love with the BuJo system: gather your supplies. 

There are many different journals on the market you can choose from. Two of the most popular brands are the Moleskine and Leuchtturm. I chose the Moleskine, Large, Squared paper notebeook. (For a comparison of the two, visit BohoBerry.) As writing tools, I use the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners. I love these pens. They come in a variety of colors and a super cool case!



Finally: Give it a try!

The best thing about this system is the customization options. You can stick with the basic system created by Ryder Carroll or adapt his version to suit your needs, like I've done. I found a lot of inspiration on Pinterest (follow my Journaling board), as well as sites like BohoBerry.com and tinyrayofsunshine.com. Plus, you can check out the Bullet Journal Blog for even more inspiration!

Perhaps the most important page in your BuJo is the Key. This page sets up the standard for how you will record items in your Bullet Journal. Since I haven't quite decided the exact way I want to do this, I've left my Key on a sticky note. That gives me the ability to change my mind and transfer it to the page once I have everything set in stone.

The next page of importance is the Index. The Index is important because,
like in any book, it is the place where you notate your "chapters." You want to make sure you leave plenty of room for the Index, because you will add to it as you add to your BuJo.

The Future Log can be used in many different ways. You can set it up for the whole year or a certain period of time (i.e. 3-6 months). I wanted to use my future log for birthdays and future events I needed to remember, as well as events that happened in the past year that I wanted to remember to note for next year (did you follow that?!). I quickly found that I have wayyyyy too many birthdays and anniversaries to remember for the amount of space I've dedicated to my future log, so I have set up a separate page dedicated for this purpose. (Yes, I misspelled "Birthdays"... everyone is having "birtdays" this year!!)

And that's it! You're ready to begin your Bullet Journal journey! The best part is, you can change your mind. Try something out. If you don't like it, change it up next time. It's perfectly flexible!